Queen of Arcadia: The Wedding
by Lady Razeli
Summary: Xena Archduchess of Glacial, Princess of Sultry must save her friends from the clutches of Caesar, protect Eve from what remains of the Gods, and once and for all truly marry the love of her life King Drake of Arcadia and become Queen of Arcadia once more
1. Mommy's Girl

Queen of Arcadia: The Wedding

By

Lady Razeli

Disclaimer: I do not own Xena, MCA Universal does.

Mommy's Girl

"No Eve don't shape shift you have to let your arm heal or we won't be able to go riding just you and I." Eve paused in her shape shifting and returned to her normal human form. "Good girl." Xena kissed her forehead. Thankfully they were back in Dragon City; Xena didn't feel that Moscow was safe. She left Lord Seymour to take care of the complete investigation; her main concern was her family.

"Story," Eve demanded.

"Ask nicely."

"Story please."

"That's better." Xena rubbed her head affectionately making Eve smile and snuggle up to her more. Melody was asleep and for once she had her mother's attention to herself. Llyr lay comfortably by the fire sleeping as well. He refused to give up his lazy habit and go to school. Xena would break him of that soon. Even in Queensland they had some sort of schooling system obviously, because the men had to learn to talk and be very good at it. She could tell who had spent more time on their voice than others. Xena began to tell Eve the story of the time she fought the harpies, which was one of her favorites because it was full of action, but she edited for her benefit.

"Xena!" Drake moaned. She paused in her story.

"Yes?" She asked as she saw a pout form on Eve's beautiful lips. She didn't know when the next time she'd get her mother to herself was let alone get to hear her favorite story.

"Can you come here?" Drake moaned. Xena rolled her eyes. Drake was such a baby when he was hurt.

"Come on let's go see why Daddy is being such a big baby." Xena removed the blanket from over them in their window seat and stood up. She headed into the bedroom where Drake was resting as she cradled Eve gently.

"Yes Drake?"

"Can you stay with me?" Drake asked.

"Yes later when I come to bed." Drake looked at her and saw she held Eve in her arms.

"You know she's sleep, you could just go put her down." Xena looked down as Eve looked at her father.

"No sleep, Daddy wait now."

"Yes, Daddy wait and stop being such a baby." Eve nodded her agreement as they headed back out.

"You guys are mean, can't I at least hear the story too." Eve thought about it and pulled on Xena's hair gently. Xena looked at her.

"Daddy hear too."

"Are you sure?" Xena asked. "It's just you and I." Eve nodded. Xena shrugged knowing the only thing better than just one parent to yourself was both of your parents.

"Okay." She turned back around and left the door open so Llyr wouldn't get scared as he often did when all the doors were closed and she was nowhere to be found. She didn't have to worry about that, because while she was getting comfortable under the covers with Eve he sauntered in and settled himself on the end of the bed in his human form. Eve made room for him automatically where Melody would be beside her. Llyr accepted the offer.

"The men are going to kill us."

"Why?" Drake asked.

"Greece."

"Oh yeah, they'll certainly try for mutiny."

"Maybe not, what if we go for a rescue mission."

"Xena you can't be serious about leaving."

"I don't want too, but all of them mean something to me, they're my family too. I was there when Allissia was born, Drake, she's my Goddaughter." Drake sighed. "Do I even need to start in on the others?" Drake shook his head.

"Okay, but I'm going not you no arguments." Xena shook her head.

"You're in no condition to go anywhere and in any case, I plan on going right into the Dungeon. Just a simple portal spell." They argued for quite some time about who was going and not going. And of course Xena won out.

"What about Eve?"

"She won't notice if I'm gone a couple of days with Llyr to distract her and Melody will be content if she gets to stay with you. Now I'm taking Daphne, maybe Emily if she's up to it. Of course Ephiny, Eponin, and Solari perhaps Gabrielle if she stops fighting your mother long enough. Honestly I don't know what to do, but Emily says she has it handled and that to let them continue. I can't believe all the fights that erupted you'd think they could stay away from each other without me having to be there." Drake moaned.

"Don't remind me, she keeps trying to drag me into the argument, but I'm not going for it. Nope, I'm playing it safe in this particular matter."

"Like every matter when it comes to your mother." Drake frowned.

"I thought you were going to make me feel better not make me feel lousy?" Xena laughed.

"Well let me see if I have something to make you feel better." She seemed to search for something before she kissed him. He accepted her kiss and drank his fill of it. She was careful not to hurt him as she ran her hand over his body where his taunt muscles still lay.

"Please get better soon, because honestly the only reason I haven't locked you in a room with me for more than a fortnight is because you're injured," Xena whispered seductively in his ear before biting it and sending a shiver of pleasure through his body.

"Oh you naughty, naughty girl," Drake whispered.

"You think I'm naughty now wait until all of my virgin shyness is gone." Drake was already in another world, she could see it in his eyes and grinned at the thought. She couldn't wait to get him in their marriage bed again.

"Mommy no go," Eve cried.

"I'll only be gone a day, two at most."

"Mommy," Eve cried grabbing her leg. Xena picked her up and comforted her.

"I know baby, but I promise I won't be gone a long time like last time. Mommy needs to take care of her beautiful baby girl doesn't she?"

"No Melody." Xena almost laughed a little.

"No I mean my first born beautiful baby girl you know the one who needs mommy to make her arm feel better." Eve smiled and Xena returned the smile before kissing her. "Let's go brush your hair. Xena went to her vanity and picked up her brush before she went back to her bed. She brushed Eve's hair as she told her a story and soon she was fast asleep. Drake walked in with Melody just as she was tucking Eve in. He was wincing with each step.

"If you keep insisting on getting out of bed you're never going to heal in time for the wedding."

"I know, but you know I can't resist chasing after this one." Xena rubbed Eve's back as she stirred a little.

"Uh huh well you're just going to have to hold off on chasing our littlest princess around until after you're better." Xena adjusted her body temperature for Melody and took the blond beauty from her father's arms. Xena couldn't believe how big she had gotten in her absence. She was nearly ten months old.

"Well I think by the time I'm better she'll be ready to run."

"Oh this little trouble maker has already started in her mind, haven't you?" Melody grinned at her and nodded. "Well please wait for mommy to get back before you start I want to see your first step." Melody nodded. "Love you and I will see you in a day." Xena straightened her dress.

"We'd better start getting them nice trousers, because let's face it once Melody is running around like Eve, they're going to get in a lot of trouble and do a lot of running." Drake nodded as he carefully sat down in his chair. Xena spread a blanket over him with one hand and then spread a blanket on the floor for Melody.

"I'll have someone bring you in some tea." Drake nodded.

"Be careful Xena."

"Don't worry I'm in and out with them."

"Still I really wish you would let someone else do it."

"I know, but I'll only be gone for a day." Xena kissed him again before she kissed Melody. She turned to kiss Eve again, but found her gone. "If you see Eve tell her I said bye again." Drake nodded as he glanced back at the bed to see his daughter not in bed fast asleep. Xena grabbed her satchel, which seemed heavier than before. Xena said goodbye to Llyr who wanted to go with her, but she made him go play with Melody.

"What is in your bag?" Emily asked when Xena finally made it outside. Xena shrugged.

"Let's just go." Ephiny, Solari, and Eponin came out of the castle dragging Gabrielle who was still yelling at Fiona, who had given up for the moment since Gabrielle was leaving.

"Gabrielle!" Xena exclaimed. Xena looked at her. "Shut up and get on your horse, we've got people to save." Gabrielle stopped shocked that Xena had told her to shut up. "We'll discuss this later now get on your horse." Gabrielle angrily got her horse. Daphne came out and mounted along with Ephiny, Solari, and Eponin. Xenon waited at the doors along with Sarah, Lila, Cyrene, Torres, and Naomi. Xena waved to them all.

"We'll be back soon." Xena opened a portal and rode through followed by the others. When they appeared in Greece it was of course night time. They rode hard and fast so that any sentries barely had time to notice if in fact they had rode by. The only evidence they left were foot prints made deep into the earth. But soon even those disappeared eliminating any record of where they were heading.

"Let's stop for the day," Xena ordered. They found a clearing and magic secured their camp from detection even from General Ving.

"My Princess, what is in your bag?" Daphne asked as she dropped it on the ground. Before Xena could answer a very familiar cry filled the air.

"Eve?" They all asked looking around and then again at Xena's bag.

"No, she wouldn't, would she?" They asked each other at the same time. Xena was at the bag first and lifted the top. There inside lay her precious daughter holding her arm and crying.

"Baby, what are you doing in there?" Xena lifted her out and comforted her. She was more concerned with her immediate pain and would address the other issue later. Immediately Gabrielle began to check their perimeter again.

"Let's get some more traps and stuff up around the camp just in case," Gabrielle told them. They nodded as Daphne and Emily stayed around Xena just in case the Gods attacked before the others could return and return them to full force.

"Its fine guys, they don't know she's back yet until than we can relax a little," Xena told them as they sat around their campfire as Gabrielle prepared breakfast. Eve lay in her arms quietly as the pain subsided. Xena turned her gaze to her daughter and smoothed her hair. All her old fears had returned concerning the Gods and her daughter. If anything more were to happen to her and she got hurt or even worse killed Xena didn't think she would have the will to live anymore and it was all because she had to come save her friends.

"Xena stop blaming yourself for something that has not and will not happen," Gabrielle told her as she saw the look on Xena's face. She knew her face well especially when she was blaming herself for something she had no control over. "You had no way of knowing that Eve would crawl into your bag and you can't just sit on your throne and let your friends suffer by Caesar's hand either." Xena looked at Gabrielle as if seeing her best friend again for the first time.

"Gabrielle?"

"Yes, it's me Gabrielle, Xena did you hit your head when we weren't looking."

"No, it's like you've been gone since the day you met Drake. Now here you are my best friend who's supportive in everything I do and doesn't make rash decisions that have negative consequences for my Kingdom." Gabrielle frowned.

"I'm sorry Xena, I guess it was my way of trying to get you back, but even now I'm no fool, I can see that coming back to Greece would be a huge mistake not just for us, but mostly for Eve. And I see that you love Drake, but its time I started acting reasonable in my attempt to win you over."

"Well at least she's no quitter," Ephiny commented making them all laugh.

"And you young lady, why did you climb into Mommy's bag?"

"Mommy no leave without Evie." They all felt for the little princess, she had spent a long time without her mother and asking her to go without her for a day when she had finally returned was almost asking the impossible of a child of two especially while she was hurt.

"I'm sorry Eve, mommy shouldn't have asked the impossible for you, but mommy didn't take you with her to begin with because it's dangerous and mommy has to keep you safe."

"I keep mommy safe," Eve told her. Xena smiled and kissed her forehead.

"I know, but just by you staying safe keeps mommy safe, okay?" Eve nodded.

"Okay, here's the deal, since I have no assumed my rightful place on any throne to the fullest my powers aren't absolute here and neither are Daphne's or Emily's. And you four have yet to tap into your inner power, but one day you will." They nodded. "We can't send her back without using energy we won't get back unless we went through the portal as well. Not to mention she'd come out in the air and fall very fast and hard. As you can see that's not an option." They nodded.

"Xena's right, so what's the plan?" Eponin asked.

"The plan is to get our friends and go," Gabrielle told her.

"No I meant conserving magic and stuff."

"Well I was thinking that if General Ving was smart and I'm sure he is that we wouldn't be able to create a portal inside the dungeons and we don't have enough power to out right over power that spell and create one anyway. However he might not have thought to stop us from going from place to place in Greece, which takes very little energy and frankly thought of as a waste of time."

"But where would we go?" Solari asked. "The Amazon village was destroyed, Amphipolis definitely isn't safe, and there's no one left in Poteidaea who would help us especially with so many people." Everyone fell silent as they thought.

"Hey isn't there more than one Amazon tribe?" Emily asked. Everyone looked at her while Daphne remained confused, she wasn't familiar with Greece as the others were.

"Yes," Ephiny answered.

"Did Caesar attack them?" Xena asked. Ephiny nodded.

"Yes, he was pretty hell bent on destroying all the Amazons, they all headed up north in the mountains, it would be way too hard for an army to get to them, they're pretty protected by nature alone. But that might not be true anymore. We could try there."

"We could create a small portal and stick our heads through and see all we can before we make it bigger and go through," Daphne suggested as their breakfast finished cooking. Gabrielle filled their plates and Xena fed Eve off her plate.

"Great idea." They fell silent for a moment.

"How's her arm?" Ephiny asked as they ate. Eve happily sat in her mother's lap enjoying Gabrielle's cooking.

"Okay, but she kind of had a little set back. I think she shape shifted at least once and plus Daphne dropped my bag pretty hard on the ground." Daphne blushed.

"I'm so sorry my Princess." Xena shook her head knowing it wasn't her fault.

"I'm so glad you decided not to kill us," Solari commented as she ate.

"Yeah well it wasn't your fought, and Varia was punished. I hope she's learned her lesson about picking on anyone younger than her."

"So far she hasn't been picking on anyone, but that doesn't mean she learned something," Eponin commented. "I wouldn't be surprised if she were up to her old tricks while we're away."

"I'll kick her ass myself if she hurts anyone again like she did Eve," Gabrielle declared. Ephiny, Eponin, and Solari agreed.

"I get first dibs on her ass," Xena told Gabrielle. They all laughed and argued about who got first dibs on Varia.

The Dungeon


	2. The Dungeon

The Dungeon

"Eve, I'm going to need you to be very quiet from mommy its vital for everyone's safety." Eve nodded. To Eve this was a game and she would be quiet for the sake of being able to play. Just in case they were prepared to gag her just for a little while. They hid their horses safely and took note of the guards and much more. Ephiny came back through a portal.

"Well?" Gabrielle asked.

"They're still there and secure for now in exchange for protecting us they want protection as well."

"We can do that," Gabrielle said. Ephiny nodded and looked at Xena.

"Gabrielle's right we can do that."

"Good, they told us we have to hurry though Caesar is trying hard and they can only hold him off for so long. We're also welcome to leave Eve with the Queen who the most protected of anyone there. They have all managed to unite under one Queen thank God." Xena nodded.

"Eve do you think you can handle a few hours without mommy for me please while I get our family too safe out of the dungeons." Eve nodded. "Good girl, now it'll only be a few hours all right." Eve nodded. She kissed her forehead before giving her to Ephiny. She opened a portal and Ephiny stepped through and she kept it open and soon she returned. Xena closed it after she led the horses through the third time.

"All right once night falls we move." They nodded and waited as they ate and rested conserving strength, energy, and magic.

"Let's go." They crept towards the fortress where Caesar stayed and took out guards along the way. Daphne and Emily prompted them back up to appear as if they were still on watch. Xena swung the rope down and went down the wall carefully avoiding a stack of swords. The others followed stepping exactly where she had except Gabrielle who they quickly stopped before she hit the swords. They pulled down the rope easily after the hook came loose. Xena caught it before it hit the ground. Xena looked around for a door as Gabrielle started to speak they stopped her and managed not to utter a sound in their attempts to silence her. Xena opened a door and looked in she heard voices and closed the door. She motioned for them to hide. They hid in the shadows and then Xena had an idea. She let herself be caught.

"Hey you!" They exclaimed. "What are you doing here? You know the penalty it's to the dungeons with you!" Everyone else stayed back seeing in the light of the men's torches, who had come out of the door Xena had found, she had changed her appearance. She appeared to look more like Eve or an older version. They grabbed her and led her to another door they hadn't seen. They followed behind them, but not closely as they led her to the dungeons.

"You can spend a night down here and we'll see how you like sneaking around maid." They threw Xena in just the right cell and closed the door. It was dark, but she could make out the figures chained to the walls. They were all staring at her. She changed back and listened to the guards disappear. She held out her hand and a ball of light appeared after she scanned the dungeon for any spells she hadn't thought of.

"Xena?" Hercules and Ares asked at the same time. The chains were that Hephaestus. There would be no breaking the chains.

"Yes, it's me I've come to get you all out."

"But Caesar he's so strong it doesn't make sense," Hercules breathed.

"Look I'll explain later, but right now you've got to get out." She saw they were all filthy and bloody. They had been beaten.

"Xena I'm just glad your back, he said he would let us go when he had captured you, but I knew it was a lie. They killed my daughter," Diana told her before crying.

"I'm so sorry I've caused you guys to suffer, if I had known I would have come back. But I didn't know and I was imprisoned myself."

"Its okay, Torres told me before all this where you had gone and about a war. I knew you were occupied and that one day he would get a message to you, I just never thought it'd take ten years."

"I know, but you'll understand more later." Xena went over to a skeleton. "Who is this?"

"He was here when we got here," Ares told her. She broke off a finger and began to release Diana first because she looked the most pathetic of them all. She was still dressed in Royal finery, but it was all rags now. Next was Allissia who was passed out, her beating was more recent than everyone else.

"Hang in there Allissia, I'm here for you." She undid the cuffs holding her arms up and than her feet. After Allissia she found Autolycus and next to him was Rafe. After Rafe was Amarice and she had the most chains.

"Xena," Tara whispered. Tara was in her mid-twenties.

"Yes, it's me Tara."

"They killed my family Xena." Xena rubbed the side of her face sadly. It hadn't been easy to get Tara on the path to good and now this had happened to her and it was all for knowing Xena.

"I know, but I'm going to get you out of here." After Tara there was Flora, who she was surprised to see. Flora only said nothing, but the look in her eyes told her she was so happy to see her and had never given up hope. After that she was fully surprised to see Artemis and Aphrodite.

"What happen to all the Gods?" Xena asked. "Did he really kill you all?" Artemis shook her head. She like Aphrodite and Ares weren't hurt with blood and dirt all over them, but the chains kept them in place.

"Caesar happened," Ares spat. "He has robbed us of everything except our immortality."

"Looks like its Caesar Athena should have waged war against not Eve," Artemis said thinking the whole situation was ironic to say the least.

"Yeah I guess so, but what about the others?"

"Dead, dead as mortals get. Well everyone except my Cupid," Aphrodite told her with tears in her eyes.

"Where is Cupid?"

"Down the hall in a separate room late at night we can hear his screams." Aphrodite said no more as Xena finished unchaining her and then Artemis.

"If you can stand begin stretching you need to get use to being on your feet." Several people stood up slowly and carefully. Xena freed Leah and Meg as well as Philemon who crawled over to his wife. They were all skin and bones. Her mother would be happy to fatten them up.

"Xena did you bring your healer's kit Iolaus is really sick," Hercules told her.

"Yeah, it's with my things, I can treat him when we get to safety." Hercules nodded as she freed him and then moved in front of him to undo his chains. "Is your mother alive?"

"She was when they took me away, but when they went for Iphicles they razed the city of Cornith to the ground. Iphicles doesn't know if mother or even if his children and wife escaped. She finally got the locks on his cuffs to give before she went to Iphicles who had regular chains and his were easier to pick with the bone. After him she looked down the row to find Minya, Salmoneous, Joxer, and a teenage boy she didn't know. Meg was near Joxer whispering to him and then to the teenage boy.

"They had more kids, but they were burned alive." Xena frowned sadly seeing that Meg's family was barely intact just like Philemon and Diana's family.

"Xena I knew you'd come," Joxer told her as he gave her a little smile. She gave him a smile back.

"Always Joxer no matter how long it takes."

"Is Eve safe?"

"She's fine, she misses her Godfather." He smiled more as she released him. Xena finished with Virgil who didn't look much like his father or Meg. He almost resembled Eve in his skin coloring and bone structure was only slightly similar, but not really. Salmoneous said nothing as he stretched. He was very frightened and his cheery self was hiding.

"So how are we going to get out of here?" Hercules asked lifting up Allissia; he still had his super strength. Everyone was supporting someone.

"Yeah, and don't tell me you didn't think that far," Ares said.

"Well I sort of did, but I changed the plan in the middle." Xena went to the door and looked out. There were two guards on the side of the door.

"Guard can you open the door please someone is dying in here!" Xena said her voice full of panic and fear.

"No need for that Xena we already took care of it," Ephiny said turning around. Xena smiled and nodded.

"Well we're ready." Ephiny disappeared and pushed the guard beside her over. Soon the door was opened and they all filed out into the hall. Everyone looked at Daphne and Emily as they moved to help them though Amarice found Daphne to be unbelievably hot, but then it started to cool down.

"Sorry," Daphne whispered to her. Amarice nodded.

"I'll get Cupid," Xena told them. They nodded as the light went out in the dungeon they had exited. Xena went down the hall with the keys and the bone in her hand. What she saw when she opened the door made her want to throw up. Aphrodite started to come down the hall.

"No Aphrodite stay down there with everyone." Aphrodite feared the sight before Xena and nodded. Xena entered the room where the torches were lit. Chains held Cupid's arms and legs spread out. He was naked with whip marks all over his body, he was cursed with mortal wounds all over his flesh and his wings had been cut off several times before they had grown back. They were still on the floor in front of him and bleedings and while his wings were gone Cupid was mortal. She moved in front of him and was horrified that his genitals had been struck with thin metal sticks.

"Cupid I'm so sorry."

"Just get me down," He managed to get out with blood all over his mouth. Xena nodded. First she released his feet so that he could kneel or stand while she released his hands. She found cloth and covered him properly before helping him walk out. Aphrodite immediately took him into her arms and cried at his missing wings thankful she had not looked upon the whole spectacle of him chained up. No mother should ever see her child in chains. Everyone asked Cupid if he was okay.

"I'll live if we can get out of here." They nodded.

"Ephiny go get Gabrielle."

"Xena what are you doing, the door is that way," Ares said. "Don't tell me you've gone daft in the…head." He looked on as a purple portal appeared.

"Go through." Daphne and Emily head through first with the ones they supported. Eponin and Solari were next with their load. Gabrielle came down the steps with Ephiny.

"We have to hurry they've noticed the guards who were killed." Xena nodded as Aphrodite went through with Cupid. Ares followed her with Tara. Philemon and Diana went through. Hercules went through as well.

"Come on he's detected us." Soon only Ephiny, Xena, Flora, and Gabrielle were left and Xena's portal began to waver. Xena stepped halfway in her portal to hold it open as it got smaller she threw Flora through it and Ephiny dived in and Gabrielle followed suit pulling Xena with her as the portal slammed closed just as the guards burst in.

"That was close," Gabrielle mumbled as Xena closed the portal on their end. Xena stood up as well as Gabrielle before helping Flora.

"Girls over here!" Ephiny called. They went over to the hunt where everyone was residing. There were twenty-seven cots and their things were in a corner. Xena lay Flora down as water and food was passed out by amazons who had come to help. Xena saw that they were all thinner than normal and sparing as much food as possible.

"Where's Eve?" Xena asked as she got her healer's kit."

"I'll go get her," An Amazon said. Xena nodded.

"So what's the plan for taking back Greece?" Hercules asked as she moved to him. Everyone was giving their full attention to Xena now.

"The plan is to get to safety."

"We're not safe yet?" Cupid groaned.

"No, not completely, not yet, I was trying to give you all three days rest before we left."

"Xena, that is hardly enough time to heal," Hercules protested. The door opened and Eve ran through the door with her arm in a sling. "Is that Eve?" Xena nodded.

"This is Eve all two years of her."

"That's impossible Eve should be older," Joxer told her, "She should be nine not two."

"No, it's not impossible where I come from. I come from another realm, it's really a completely different world where Greece only exists in another realm, and we're going back there. There everyone will be safer than you are here, but the war will follow us home that I can promise you."

"Is that where you get your power?" Ares asked. Xena nodded.

"But Ares is your father," Hercules said.

"Hey yeah that's right I fathered you." Xena shook her head.

"No, you didn't, I've found my real dad and its not you Ares or Atrius. My mother was pregnant with me before she lay with you or Atrius again."

"How?" Xena explained about her youth and Eve's. She explained about why it was ten years passed in Greece and Eve was still a baby and she explained how she had come to find out about them finally and resolved to come rescue them because they would do it for her.

"And your revenge on Caesar?" Ares asked.

"Not important my children need me and I would be stupid to go up against General Ving and Caesar alone despite all my skill."

"General Ving?" Gabrielle spoke than. Aside from fighting with Drake's mother she had learned about Arcadia before Drake and Xena's rule.

"So that bastard is responsible for Caesar's power."

"General Ving uses his power in the worse way possible. I've only gone up against him once and that was twenty years ago for you guys." They nodded.

"Why not leave now for Arcadia?" Aphrodite asked wanting to get Cupid somewhere safe.

"Because of the way one enters Arcadia, I don't want to make you worse yet. I want you to at least begin your healing process and perhaps not be hurt so much."

"What do we have to swim up to the top of an unbelievably deep lake?" Hercules asked. Xena shook her head.

"Worse."

"What?" They asked.

"When you come out on the other side you will find yourself in the air and for the first few seconds as your brain registers the problem you will enjoy it and then you will fall and die."

"And how do you survive this?" Ares asked.

"The horses, we're going to send for horses, thankfully Arcadia breeds lots of strong horses every year and of course there are lots that roam free. But we've decided that it's easier if we just get a horse for every wagon in this Amazon village." An Amazon entered.

"Xena our Queen would like to speak with you." Xena nodded as she stood up.

"Daphne and Emily are quite capable of answering all of your questions about Sultry and Arcadia." They nodded. Eve, who was sitting next to her Uncle Joxer after recognizing him immediately and almost confusing Meg for her mother, followed her out. She stopped when she saw a weary looking Diana and looked back after Xena. Xena noticed and stopped.

"What?"Eve's eyes fell on Leah who had planted herself next to Gabrielle who was no longer the little naïve girl she knew. Eve walked over to Diana, who gave her a smile knowing she was confused. Eve studied her face for a long moment than went to study Leah's. She even went back to Meg and studied her face before she went back to Xena and studied her face before nodding her head.

"Your mommy," Eve said holding out her hand. She was so cute and everyone laughed a little.

"Yes, I'm mommy." After a few moments they both departed to speak with the Queen of the Amazons.

"Queen Xena, I am Queen Cyane, after the woman you killed." Xena nodded.

"I'm glad to hear the name is still being passed on." She nodded.

"I wanted to talk to you about how you're going to provide my nation with protection."

"By taking you, your fellow Amazon sisters the Greek Amazons."

"You're going to kill us all," She said angrily. Xena shook her head no and stopped her from pulling out her sword.

"They're not dead, they're perfectly safe I assure you, four of the women with me are Greek Amazons, and the short blond is Queen Gabrielle, Ephiny as you know is her Regent." Queen Cyane called Ephiny and Gabrielle to her. And with Eve in her arms they were able to get Cyane to trust Xena.

"Xena, I've been thinking and I can't just leave without knowing if my family is safe," Iphicles told her.

"Iphicles I don't know what to tell you, you're going to be alone and Caesar's army is headed this way."

"Can't we stay a little longer to search?"

"No," Eve said. "Mommy busy."

"Apologize," Xena told her. Eve pouted. "Eve apologize you are not to be rude and it will not be tolerated."

"You're not mommy." She got off Xena's lap.

"Apologize."

"No," Eve told her shaking her head.

"Eve, I'm not arguing with you now I told you to apologize and that's what your going to do or be punished. Pick wisely little girl."

"Eve no have to say sorry, Eve princess." She stuck out her tongue out at Xena to everyone's disbelief. Xena frowned at her straight out disobedience. She went and sat by herself to play with the stick dolls an Amazon had made her.

"Excuse us and Iphicles I can't make you any promises." Iphicles nodded. Xena carried Eve outside who kicked her things and one good arm. She tried to burn Xena, but of course she didn't have enough power to do that. Xena put her over her knee and she cried as Xena had frozen the seat of her cloth diaper. Xena didn't see the point of warming her back side if she didn't notice a big difference. It was course hurt her to cause Eve pain, but it was for her own good.

"Now I'm sorry mommy had to do that to you, but you were being naughty."

"Mommy no do it again."

"I'll make you a deal I won't spank you anymore if you don't be naughty, fair trade." Eve nodded. "Good and I'll give you warnings that you're being naughty." Eve nodded as she kissed the top of her head. "Okay now let's go apologize to Uncle Iphicles." Eve nodded. Xena put her down and led her by the hand back to the hut. Eve walked with her head down and apologized to Iphicles who smiled at her and offered her an apple as a peace offering which she accepted.

"I was thinking and Caesar never killed Hades."

"What?" Everyone asked looking at Ares. Ares nodded.

"Yeah, he never killed Hades, Hades closed off all the door ways to his realm and he only sends his sister up if someone is dying away from Caesar otherwise all those people never die unless they're his warriors when Caesar is too preoccupied."

"Do you think he'll come if you call?"

"He didn't when we were in the dungeons, but now that we're out I think we have a shot."

"And what about Eve?" Gabrielle asked. "Will he attack her and blame her for Caesar?" Ares shrugged.

"I'm sure if he still thinks she's behind this we can reason with him."

"Eve come here." Eve came over and Xena took her up in arms drawing her sword. Daphne and Emily did as well positioning themselves between their Queen and Hades when and if he arrived.

"Hades!" Ares called.

"Hades!" Artemis, Aphrodite, and Cupid called.

"Hades come on we've escaped!" Ares yelled.

"Hades!" Hercules called. Soon everyone was calling him which switched to insults and he appeared in the middle of the room.

"What!" Hades exclaimed. "I don't want to be killed." He looked all around him and saw they were indeed out of the dungeon. "Cupid nephew what have they done to you?" His genitals were swollen and Xena wanted him in Arcadia before she removed anything and he had agreed.

"Too much Uncle," Cupid told him.

"Uncle can you tell us if Iphicles' family and our mother are dead?" Hercules asked. Hades sighed.

"Is that all." They nodded.

"His family is dead, but your mother she's in Athens or the new village of Athens." Iphicles now turned away in grief.

"Can you bring mother?" Hades nodded. He disappeared not even noticing Eve or Xena. He appeared a little later with a child and Alcmene. She hugged Hercules spotting him first. The little boy spotted his father and ran to him. Iphicles was overjoyed that his youngest son at least had survived. He had only been imprisoned for six of the last ten years.

"Xena thank you," Alcmene told her before she thanked Daphne, Emily, Ephiny, Eponin, Solari, and lastly Gabrielle. She was a big help as Hades disappeared telling them not to call him again. The next morning Xena had Cyane telling her Amazons to pack every last bit of food.

"Drake's sending wagons now," Xena told Gabrielle.

"Who's Drake?" Ares asked. Hercules was a little curious along with Autolycus.

"My husband." Everyone gasped and looked at her.

"You got married?" They asked.

"Yes, I got married its not that hard to believe, I told you this last night."

"Yeah, but now there's a name attached to the lucky son a bitch," Ares grumbled.

"You can't get mad at him for having the courage to do what you've always wanted too," Xena told them before she followed Gabrielle out. They packed everything imaginable. Solari went the supplies to prepare her fellow Amazons. Any sick Amazons or wounded ones from fighting of Caesar's army were taken after the supplies. After the sick and wounded the children were taken. Eve stood by Xena's side watching Daphne and Emily help her keep the portal open on their end and Drake was on the other and although far was keeping the portal open with the help of her ladies in waiting who were actually in the Amazon village. Of course it was not the same portal as Xena's portal appeared in the air, there's was on the ground and appeared on the ground in Greece.

"Come on ladies we have to move fast!" Queen Cyane yelled. Next groups were taken. Xena and Gabrielle's friends went. Xena was grateful when all the Amazons had gone except Queen Cyane who looked over her village. Eve sat perched before Xena on Argo.

"Is that everyone?" Xena asked.

"I think so."

"Search the village, make sure no one is left behind. It was a good thing they did because a pregnant Amazon had almost been left. She had locked herself in the room and she was so quiet that in the commotion she had been forgotten and her only daughter beside her. Ephiny took the child while Queen Cyane had the woman.

"Go, I'll stay with her," Queen Cyane said.

"Go you guys send back a wagon you too Daphne, Emily." They nodded after much protesting. Xena held the portal open.

"We're coming for you Amazons!" They heard men yell.

"They're making it up here without women to defend our border." Xena nodded as the wagon came through. Queen Cyane put the woman in the wagon and led it through in the driver's seat. Xena sent her horse through and rode in just beside it with Eve in her arms. She stopped and sealed the portal just missing the surprised look on the man's face as she disappeared. She rode ahead seeing that the wagon had disappeared.

"Hang on Eve." Eve's eyes went wide when they fell into the night sky. As her brain registered they were in the air and Argo began to fall she gripped Xena in fear and screamed as Argo's wings flew out catching the wind and slowing them down. She calmed down as they glided safely in the air so she could get use to it.

"Relax Eve you're fine and mommy is right behind you darling," Xena whispered and glided Argo towards the ground. When they landed everything was being put and Amazons were bunking with other Amazons or going to the newly finished huts.

"That was insane," Aphrodite told her. "It was like riding a monstrous wave!" Xena smiled at Aphrodite's comparison.

"Well I never want to do that again," Alcmene told her. Everyone had their comments as a feast was brought in much better than in Greece.

"Xena can we do this now?" Cupid asked. Xena nodded.

"I'll put her to bed," Daphne volunteered. Xena nodded and kissed Eve goodnight before taking her to Xena's hut when she visited. They moved Cupid somewhere more private and she worked all night long and in the morning she was finally done and he was on his way to healing. Aphrodite took over his care than. He still couldn't close his legs, but he was a deal more comfortable.

"How are you feeling today Iolaus?"

"Much better, I'm glad to be able to stop hallucinating for now." Everyone nodded. It would be awhile before any of them really recovered. Xena, Eve, and Melody were around on and off because she had a wedding to plan, but finally Cyrene just came to the Amazon village.


	3. One…Two…Three…Four Xenas!

One…Two….Three…Four Xenas!

"I'm getting my wings back," Cupid said happily as he flexed his almost fully grown wings.

"They look really strong, you should flap them often to give them more strength," Ares told him. Cupid nodded as he watched Xena measuring Aphrodite for a new dress.

"I don't understand, why you can't just snap your fingers and the dress will appear on me," Aphrodite said.

"It doesn't work that way here, I'm not a God or a witch. Our power is mostly for protection and travel. Don't get me wrong I can do some serious damage and if I concentrated enough perhaps if I snapped my fingers something may just magically happen, but it would not be the same trust me."

"So when do we get our powers?" Ares asked.

"When ever I show you how, but I don't know if I want to give you powers Ares, the last thing I need is you abusing them."

"Oh come on you've showed Hercules and Iolaus even your little look a likes and that idiot."

"Hey Joxer is not an Idiot," Xena and Gabrielle said at the same time. Everyone turned to look at Gabrielle.

"Whatever," Ares told them.

"Xena are you almost done?" Gabrielle asked. "Ephiny and the girls are ready."

"Yeah, just want to get her bust line and then deliver her measurements to mother." Xena took the last measurement and noticed that Artemis was sticking very close to Gabrielle. "Did my mother take Artemis's measurements?"

"No, you had better do it, you know she said she wanted everyone's measurements in today and we're on a strict diet."

"You have to keep the weight you have I actually have to lose ten pounds if I even want to fit into my dress. Drake thought I was still the same measurements as the first time." Gabrielle made a face and shook her head.

"Ouch, why not just let it out?" Gabrielle asked.

"Cause than he'll know I got fat plus have you seen the stitching on that dress. One stitch comes out and the dress will fall apart. And its actually really beautiful, I'd rather not ruin a one of a kind."

"Oh yeah, now I remember the stitching," Gabrielle said as Xena beckoned Artemis over.

"Maybe I can take a look at it, not many people know this, but I'm actually pretty good, Athena taught me," Artemis volunteered. Xena thought about.

"Not a bad idea and it would save me from the horrors of a diet."

"Oh my God, what have you become honestly Xena, you're actually worried about your weight, so you gain ten pounds in the last what, three years?"

"Just about." Ares put his head in his hands as he realized she saw nothing wrong with it.

"I think it's a lovely change in Xena, and I'm positive she's perfectly ruthless when she has to be," Hercules said walking over.

"Don't encourage her!" Ares exclaimed.

"Look so I was thinking maybe Iolaus and I could go back to Greece and help people."

"Big bro you should like totally stay here, there's nothing left in Greece."

"Honestly Herc, I'd love to send you back and help all those people, but that war can't be won or fault in Greece. Not with General Ving in the picture. To be honest if it weren't for him our army would have decided to go and annihilate Caesar immediately if it weren't for Ving. But we're still recovering from one harsh war."

"Mail!" An amazon yelled coming over.

"Um…my Queens," the Amazon said. "A letter from Lady Clara for you Queen Gabrielle, and for you my Queen a letter from Evzenek."

"Gabrielle, are you just going to leave the girl pining after you?" Xena asked as she opened her letter. It was as cold as ice.

"Honestly Xena, you shouldn't approve of this match between me and your lady in waiting."

"Oh, but I do, I love Clara to death, but she needs a girlfriend or if you're both lucky a wife." The Amazon who delivered the letter giggled.

"Don't you have work," Gabrielle told her.

"Yes, my Queen." She bowed and left quickly laughing still. "I don't even like her."

"You haven't given her a chance, you went on one date, when you first got here, I think now that you've been here for awhile you should go out on a date with her again."

"If you're hoping my attraction to you is less than it is now than it was then you're wrong." Xena sighed.

"Give her a chance, I think you'll love what you find." Gabrielle sighed. "Okay Cupid, Aphrodite one of you help her or try."

"Nope that's all real sorry darling," Aphrodite told her. Cupid nodded as well.

"Well Leah's still single."

"She's a Hestian Virgin." Xena shrugged.

"What's your point?" Ares, Xena, Aphrodite, Cupid, and Artemis asked. Even Hercules was looking at her with the same question in his eyes.

"What do you mean, what's my point, my point is she's a Hestian Virgin, she's very devout." They all laughed.

"You can make any sexually deprived person rethink their decision of abstinence my friend," Hercules told her. "Every woman has a limit."

"You just have to find it," Xena told her.

"So you have a limit too." Xena laughed a little along with everyone else.

"I'm incredibly stubborn and madly in love with someone else. Had you pursued at least sleeping with me before we came here I probably would have given in at some point, but not now."

"Damn it."

"Seriously if you won't take Clara at least take Leah, the poor girl."

"I don't want her," Leah said appearing.

"What even you don't want me?"

"Well I don't like other women, but I do however want you." Both Hercules and Ares looked at each other and around them since they were sitting next to each other.

"Me?" They asked. Leah nodded

"Damn Leah you're a bigger slut than I ever imagined you could be."

"Well its not like I just want to sleep with them, they have to both marry me of course, didn't you say that although its not common or done women can take more than one husband."

"In Sultry."

"Well it's going to happen in Arcadia too."

"Damn see this is a hard choice, I could have the woman that looks like the woman I love, but inevitably share her with my hated brother."

"Or live alone for the rest of your life because no one else will tolerate your annoying personality where you can't do anything that's not quote on quote manly." Ares laughed as Hercules frowned. "Oh don't you even start Mr. I'm a bad ass. I don't know any other woman who would want to put up with that especially when everyone knows you're sweeter than pie."

"He's sweeter than honey," Xena corrected. Leah nodded.

"I am not sweet, I am the big bad God of war."

"God of nothing is more like it," Hercules told him. "Face it here you're just like everybody else."

"Shut up."

"Whatever the point is I will tolerate you and you have until after Xena's wedding to decide if I am who you can love." They nodded.

"Look you guys now that you're healed we're going to be heading to Dragon City, who all is coming with?"

"Diana and Philemon are definitely coming, and Meg and Joxer as well," Gabrielle told them.

"Don't forget their son," Ares told her.

"I didn't its expected that he would come along, he can't stay here." Ares rolled his eyes and sent her an offending gesture. She promptly returned it and Xena rolled her eyes.

"I'm coming," Leah told her.

"Of course all the guys are coming," Ares told Xena.

"No shit Sherlock, I never would have guessed," Xena told Ares before slapping him upside the head. "Stop being a jackass."

"I'm coming, I can't part with Cupid," Aphrodite told Xena.

"You know I'm staying, I belong here among my Amazons."

"Amarice is also staying, Allissia has decided to come with you and as usual Sarah will be coming with you, she's attached herself to you. Naomi is going back and um…Flora we're going to make her an Amazon, but she plans on joining you in a little while."

"Tara becoming an Amazon?" Gabrielle nodded.

"She's coming with Flora though; we're waiting until the full moon." Xena nodded.

"All right, let's get these measurements to my mother and then go."

"Where are you two going?" Leah asked.

"I'm going to get my powers," Gabrielle said. They hurried off and soon Ephiny, Eponin, and Solari joined them.

"Seriously don't use your powers for the first couple of days, build up your energy and let your power's mature. Your initial energy is your greatest and will burn the fastest. You're stronger later if you wait now." All four them nodded.

"So do we take all the children through that ritual as well?" Gabrielle asked.

"Everyone who was not born here in this world need to go through it, but remember that some will take longer than others to even achieve what you did today. But you also have to know that there is always going to be someone normal even if they're born here." They nodded. Eve ran over to them followed by Melody who had taken her first steps in front of both her and Drake. They had been so happy and showered her with kisses.

"Hey honey ready to go see Daddy?" Eve nodded as did Melody. She picked them both up. "Good because we're leaving tomorrow." Like Xena they were dressed as Amazons.

"I can't believe Argo sprained her foot," Xena said sadly as they air lifted Argo by Dragon back to Dragon City for medical treatment.

"Tough luck," Ares said.

"Shut up Ares," Xena told him as the footman opened the door to the carridge where Leah, Diana, and Meg were sitting. Eve and Melody were in a carriage with her respective ladies in waiting. All the men and boys were riding horses. Sarah, Naomi, and Allissia were in a carriage with her ladies from Glacial ahead of them.

"Xena honestly why do you want to trick him?" Diana asked.

"Because it'll be funny and its part of our relationship to try and confuse and trick the other."

"I've been working on my impression of you. The sweet Xena that is," Meg said. "Luckily you're still nothing like Leah or Diana."

"Meg!" They both exclaimed. She grinned.

"Well at least we can stay in character."

"Its important that even your body language says you're me. Even if he kisses you, you have to remember to kiss like me, and we practiced on Ares and Hercules."

"And boy was that fun," Leah commented. They laughed.

"Its complicated, but if he even dares to ask if you're a virgin, just say yes."

"Why?" They asked. She explained and they nodded.

"That would rat us out quickly," Diana said referring to her and Meg.

"And all he'd have to do is ask me how, when you guys have Eve and Melody," Leah replied. Xena nodded.

"Exactly." Xena made sure none of them had anything different on their dress. It was made from the exact same cut and since they had gotten back to Arcadia the focus had been on making them all look exactly the same from muscle tone to her voice to the way she touched somebody. They had tested themselves out on Ares, Hercules, and Gabrielle. None of them knew the difference and still didn't know they had been tricked.

"Hey Eve, Melody," Drake greeted. He was only two months away from his wedding date and feeling much better. He kissed his daughters as they talked excitedly about what they did or at least Eve did and Melody was trying to vocalize more. "Okay why don't you tell Daddy all about it over lunch, but right now there's a surprise in the nursery for both of you." They took off as soon as he said surprise and the location of it. He chuckled. Lady Emily introduced him to Ares and everyone. Ares and Hercules in particular eyed him carefully.

"Okay," Drake said looking around for his wife. Xena and the girls had stopped to talk to a man that begged her to stop. "Where's Xena?"The carriages left and servants carried in bags.

"You know the Queen always stopping to help someone in need." Drake nodded.

"I'll just wait than." Lady Emily nodded and waited with him. The carriage arrived after they waited for ten minutes. Drake smiled and gallantly went to the door, he opened the door and bowed gracefully. "Milady."

"Milord," Xena said taking his offered hand as she rolled her eyes at him. Lady Emily giggled. She stepped down and before he could move his hand, Diana had taken it.

"Milord." Drake stared at her in shock not sure what was going on as Leah stepped out and finally Meg. He looked at all four of them and then looked into the carriage to be sure that there was no one else in the carriage. He looked to the steps and found all of her ladies in waiting, waiting patiently so it was none of them who could be disguised as the three extra copies of his wife.

"Is this some type of joke?" Drake asked. None of them said a word.

"My Queen please come, it's late and we must prepare you for dinner," Lady Emily said. They all went up the steps walking exactly the same with unmistakable grace.

"Fine play your game Xena, but sooner or later Eve is going to rat you out or Melody even."

"Highly unlikely," They said together. They all changed and when they entered the dining hall after the gasps had subsided they noticed Drake was grinning.

"What's so funny?" Leah asked.

"You or maybe even one of you three have to sit next to me. You're the Queen." Meg sat next to Drake and everyone else took a seat on the side. The girls took their dinner in private so they had no chance of revealing who was their mother. Meg interacted easily with the nobles as did the others. Xena had coached them to the point where they each effectively insulted Fiona. Drake wondered if the woman beside him was even his wife.

"I will figure it out," Drake told them. They laughed as they walked away. Xena had warned them that a look in the eyes could easily betray their joke. Drake knew the look of mischief in her eyes and it would not be the same in the others. It was the one thing they couldn't change for the time being.

"Well good night dears," Cyrene told them. She kissed them each good night and they all slept next to each other.

"All right gentleman, tell me who's your wife?" Drake asked Joxer and Philemon.

"Sorry Drake at this point we can't even tell our wives apart and we're being tested just as much as you are."

"However we can guarantee that my wife, Meg will fail first she's nothing like the others, who are more innocent in appearance as Queens or Hestian Virgins in Leah's case."

"Possibly Diana might break form after her, but who knows." Drake sighed, but nodded. They were outside in one of the training grounds. The girls had conveniently decided not to spar with anyone. Hercules and Ares however were scrowling at him.

"Sirs why do you scowl at me so, you're the friends of my wife and most welcome."

"That's just it she's your wife," Hercules told him.

"I hope you fail and she gets so mad she comes running to my arms."

"Ares," Hercules scolded. "For God's sake she'll come running to mine, everyone knows that."

"Don't get your hopes up, I will not fail," Drake told them, he had heard enough of Gabrielle's tales in Sultry to know how they felt about his soulmate.

"We will never give up hope not even on our deathbeds," Hercules told him.

"Yeah, that's right, we're men, warriors, and we're warriors who will die in battle."

"Yes, the ultimate battle, the battle for Xena's love."

"We hate to break it to you boys, but you've lost that battle, you just haven't died yet," Xena told them.

"Well I know the Xena look alike in blue isn't Xena, she wouldn't expose herself."

"Right," Xena told him. "Anyway we're going to the gardens to have tea and play croquet it was Leah's idea."

"And you're definitely not Leah," Drake concluded as well.

"No really I hadn't noticed I wasn't Leah, God to think I'm that empty in the head." She walked off followed by the others who scowled at him in Xena like fashion.

"You're an idiot," Ares told him. "If that wasn't Xena than I don't know who is."

"That was not her and there's no way to tell for sure which one of them is Xena until they screw up, so I am not an idiot, I know my own wife, she's just very good at keeping them from doing key things that would let me know they're not her or doing key things that let me know that she is my wife. None of them even look me in the eye."

"Ares is right you are an idiot."

"Why?" Drake asked.

"Because dumbass, all you have to do is kiss her, Xena would go further with you than anyone else and just to be sure, because maybe I'm wrong the others just might sleep with you just because your hot, I've seen it happen with twins to me of course, check for that cute mole on her inner thigh, you know the one that makes you just want to…" Hercules trailed off as all three men retreated into their minds of fantasies or past sexual escapades with Xena in Drake's case. Philemon and Joxer thought about their own wives remembering that Diana had a lovely heart shaped birth mark where Xena's mole was and Meg had a moon shaped scar where the birth mark was on Diana and the mole on Xena's thigh.

"Damn I wonder what's on Leah's thigh," Ares muttered. Hercules nodded his agreement.

"What?" Drake asked shaking his head. Everyone came back to reality.

"Shall we go for tea than, Sir?" Bosley asked. Drake nodded.

"Yes, sure why not." They all headed for the gardens and found that they had all changed dresses and now Drake was still confused about to call Xena out by color. She knew him all too well.

"Damn," Drake muttered before joining them.


	4. Picking the wrong girl

Note: If you have any idea on what to title this chapter please let me know soon.

Chapter Four

"I can't believe Eve and Melody can't tell the difference," Gabrielle commented to Xena, Meg, Diana, and Leah.

"Yeah I know, I thought she had figure it out by now," Meg commented.

"I'm more surprised than anyone, I thought Drake would have figured out the one sure way to tell us apart by now."

"Good thing we covered up the moles and the birthmarks just in case."

"Don't sleep my husband," They said at the same time. Everyone laughed.

"Hercules and Ares look like they want to kill Drake."

"Well I can't blame them," Gabrielle commented. "He's done the impossible."

"Tasted forbidden fruit so to speak, its envy and jealousy really. Don't take it personally Leah, its just hard realizing your not going to get something, right Gabby?"

"Yeah," Gabrielle said regretfully. "You could indulge me you know."

"Yeah, and you could indulge Clara, but you don't." Gabrielle groaned. "Now seriously come on let's make it easy for him to get this I'm actually tired of this game now."

"Yeah, and I'm kind of ready to sleep with Philemon without looking out for Drake, I didn't think they'd all be this stupid." Meg nodded.

"Well I may as well break first." Leah left. When they sat her again she looked a little happier and she was dressed modestly which was more her style. Than Meg was the complete opposite she didn't mind having people grab her butt in public so took to wearing short skirts and revealing tops that Joxer loved. However Gabrielle and Xena noticed she had toned it down a lot because she was a mother and she did look like Xena.

"So you're my wife," Drake said to Diana. Xena rolled her eyes.

"I'm terribly annoyed with you right now," Xena told him. Drake tried to hide his shocked but Xena saw.

"Don't be I was only testing you," Drake lied as Diana rolled her eyes and scolded Philemon.

"You're so full of it right now," Xena told him. "You had absolutely no idea who I was. I'd think after three years of marriage you'd know me by now, we're four very different people. You should know me the best no matter how good they can imitate me. God you wouldn't even know it if Diana was the one standing next to you on our wedding day."

"I'm sorry."

"No, sorry isn't going to cut it, this was suppose to be funny, but now its just fucking sad!" Drake looked more and miserable knowing he had screwed up big time. "When I come back from visiting the orphanages we are going to have a long talk you're not going to like at all."

"Oh shit, oh shit," Drake muttered before going to talk to his cousin Emily, but she was busy doing something as the fight between his mother and Gabrielle started again. He groaned and hid from them knowing they were going to try and suck him into the argument. He didn't have to worry about the girls because they were visiting the orphanages with Xena.

"Think Drake, think Drake what can you do to sooth the savage beast?" He was silent as Llyr walked in. "Hey Llyr." Llyr nodded to him and climbed into his bed. "I know!" He hurried out leaving the door open so Llyr wouldn't feel trapped or Xena would be mad at him for that.

"Will you help me?" Drake asked Cyrene.

"Yeah, I will."

"Oh thank you, you're so awesome right now." Cyrene smiled.

"I know dear." Cyrene watched him run off.

"What's he got planned?" Xena asked entering the kitchen dressed in tunic and trousers as were Eve and Melody.

"It's a surprise dear, he's trying to make up for not picking you." Xena grunted.

"Unexpected reward, I was just giving him grief I knew I did too good a job of hiding myself." Cyrene laughed.

"We give Daddy grief," Eve told her as Cyrene kissed her and Melody before slipping them treats.

"I saw that mother, you never slipped me any treats before dinner."

"That's because you're my daughter, I had to raise you, they're my grandchildren I get to indulge in everything with them."

"Oh ha ha now your daughter is grown up and she wants a treat." Cyrene laughed and gave Xena a cookie.

"So where are my three favorite girls off too?"

"Hide and seek they were very well behaved to this afternoon while I did my job even when I had to take extra time to assemble the army to be ready, I'm sure General Ving is going to attack just don't know when." Cyrene nodded.

"Oh I can't wait for the peace to come back." Xena nodded.

"I'm worried about him attacking while we're in Sultry though."

"No, no Xena your wedding is coming up leave the protecting to your Generals its why they made the decision to stay behind."

"I'll try, but can we have another cookie before we go?" Cyrene frowned.

"You're going to ruin your teeth."

"What does it matter this is a time of indulgence remember?"

"Indugence," Melody said. Eve nodded her head vigorously. She was about to throw a tantrum because they weren't playing yet and than changed her mind when Xena mentioned another cookie. She didn't realize that Xena had seen her onset of a tantrum.

"All right, here you go girls." She kissed them all before they left with their warm cinnamon cookies in head.

"You two had better stay ultra adorable if we're going to keep getting extra cookies from Nana," Xena told them making them smile. They played hide and seek in the woods.

"Melody!" Xena called. Eve's arm was hurting and she was ready for dinner. Melody however did not want to go back yet and deliberately hid from her mother. Xena quickly realized Melody wasn't playing, but she also knew she hadn't been hurt or kidnapped. "Melody come here its time to go back to the castle."

"No!" Melody yelled. "I stay!"

"You can't stay its time for dinner and its getting dark, now come here young lady," Xena told her in a no nonsense tone that Melody ignored. "Melody you have until the count of three to get your little behind out here right now!"

"No!" No seemed to be Melody's favorite word when she chose to let her voice be heard. It was No, mommy, or Daddy and she just learned her version of indulgence. Eve did not move at all she knew that tone Xena was taking with Melody she had experienced once before and her bottom was not grateful for her disobedience and Melody's would not be either.

"I'm counting to three, little girl. One…two…" She paused to see if Melody would come out, she didn't, but she did hear her move and headed towards her hiding place. "Three you're in trouble now." The sun shined one last time before it went over the horizon, and Xena became angry as Melody had run off to another hiding place before she could grab her. She created a fireball in her hand as Eve hurried to her. She didn't like being alone in the dark and to make manners worse they were out in the woods.

"Melody come here right now or I am going to leave you out here in the woods alone." Melody didn't come out. "Fine we're gone." She turned and grabbed Eve's good arm. Eve was hoping she didn't come out because than she could have her Daddy back and most importantly her mommy back to herself. "Come on Eve." The light extinguished itself and Xena hadn't gone more than a few feet when Melody began to howl with fright and call for her. Xena let her cry for a little bit before a fireball materialized and Melody came over crying.

"Mommy," Melody cried.

"Don't you dare mommy me little girl you're in a world of trouble for doing that." She picked up Melody and that just made Melody cry even more because she wasn't showing her any comfort at all. Eve took her mother's hand. Xena easily lifted Eve into the saddle as Melody was put in a sling on her back as she cried. She galloped towards the city and Argo spread her wings and flew to the palace. Xena could already smell her mother's cooking as it spread throughout the palace alerting everyone that it was time to eat.

"Melody wipe your face and wash your face," Xena told her as she gave Eve some medicine to lessen the pain in her arm before helping her dress and brush her beautiful red hair. "Wipe your face and hands." Eve took the cloth from Xena and wiped her face and hands. Xena turned to Melody annoyed she hadn't wiped the smudges of dirt from her face or even her hands. In fact she had sat down and began pounding the floor. Eve moved away from both Xena and Melody knowing Melody was going to get a spanking.

"Melody…." Drake walked in.

"What's wrong with Melody?" Drake asked. "She's been crying since you guys came back."

"I know."

"What happen?"

"She decided that she didn't want to come home and hid from me after I repeatedly told her to come out of hiding. So I made her think I left her she's been crying ever since and now she's throwing a tantrum and refusing to wash her face and hands."

"She just needs comfort."

"No, she needs discipline. I imagine she's upset I haven't comforted her."

"Well what do you suggest we can't let her cry."

"She needs a spanking and that's what she's going to get instead of a time out if she doesn't stop acting like a brat." Xena directed her words to Melody more than Drake. Eve hit Drake's leg to get his attention. He picked her up.

"Well at least one of you is being good," Drake commented as Xena picked up Melody who kicked and hit at her.

"Why don't you take Eve to dinner we'll be right there."

"Oh I planned a quiet family dinner for us."

"All right we'll be joining you in a few minutes." Drake took Eve to his private dining room. Xena sat down on the bed and put a thrashing Melody over her knee and spanked her. Melody being so young it only took four well place swats to warm her bottom.

"Mommy," Melody cried.

"You don't hit or kick me Melody. You also need to learn that when I tell you to do something you do it and tantrums are not tolerated around here. If you ever try to hurt me again, throw a tantrum, or refuse to listen to me or your daddy I will not hesitate to spank you again that I promise you little girl." She stood up and got Melody to wash her hands and face while she got her dress and stuff.

"Now let's tackle that messy hair of yours," Xena said as she finished getting the dirt off her face, she'd missed. "Yep you look just like your daddy, you're ready for dinner." Melody smiled a little, but not really. She followed Xena out of the nursery and to Xena's room where she sat on the bed watching Xena get dressed quickly in a light dress that did not require her ladies in waiting who she had sent out to dinner before they headed to Drake's private dining room.

"Oh there's my other two beautiful girls." Drake stood up and kissed Melody before placing her in her seat across from Eve who sitting next to Llyr who was eating raw meat. He turned to Xena and kissed her before whispering in her ear. "Don't be mad I let them start, I actually planned a romantic dinner, but I didn't want them to be ignored." Xena smiled and nodded. He led her to her seat and pulled it out. The table was round so there wasn't a lot of space between any one person and anyone else sitting at the table. Xena fed Melody her beef stew. Drake gave all his attention to Eve. Llyr crawled into her lap and let her rub his head. He still wasn't interested in verbalizing with his voice.

"I think we're ready for bed already." They took the children to the nursery. Eve and Llyr wouldn't go to sleep without a story. When Xena reentered the dining room the tablecloth was white and rose petals were spread over the table. For dinner they were having quail with rose petal sauce one of her favorite dishes.

"Wow," Xena breathed as Drake lit the candles with a breath extinguishing all the others.

"And its all for you," Drake told her. He kissed her hungrily letting his hands roam her body, but she stopped them feeling involuntarily shy.

"Hmm…you're not off the hook." He grinned and delivered one last kiss to her swollen lips and shrugged.

"Yes, well I was naughty you could always spank me." Xena noted the mischief in his eyes as he bent over to give her a clear shot.

"Hmm…tempting, but I was already saving that for the second day of our honeymoon." Drake looked surprised, as he stood up straight.

"Oh you planned our honeymoon?" Xena nodded as he pulled out her chair and she sat down gracefully. Drake sat down across from her as she began to cut a peace of meat off her perfectly cooked quail.

"Oh yes two weeks of…" Fiona burst into the room. She sighed.

"Come on set the table for me," Fiona ordered.

"Fiona we're in the middle of…"

"Drake sweetheart, I'm glad we could have dinner tonight." Fiona than proceeded to launch into a story about her day and all that while he continually tried to interrupt until she pulled the authority mother figure card on him. Xena tried as well, but Drake begged her silently not to start an argument.

"If I didn't love you," Xena muttered before she left out.

"Take her, her dinner," Drake told a servant. She nodded and did so. When he did finally get to her room and knock on the door she was lying on some pillows reading in front of the fire. Leah, Diana, and Meg were around her snacking on cakes. Gabrielle had been convinced into going out with Clara for the night. Her other ladies were taking the night off.

"Come in," Xena told him knowing it was him.

"You want us to go?" Meg asked.

"If you want too."

"Its better these things are discussed in private." Xena nodded as they stood up with their own scrolls full of information about the New World they lived in. They nodded to Drake before leaving. He shut the door and walked over tentatively. Xena continued to read her book

"Did you eat your dinner?" Drake asked.

"Yes," Xena answered without looking at him or pausing in her reading.

"May I join you down there?"

"I guess if you want unless you'd rather your mother took my place because than I'll just go read in the library." Drake sat down.

"Oh come on don't be like that, you know I wanted dinner to be just the two of us once the children were in bed." Xena closed her book.

"You know Drake your mother intrudes a lot and there's only so much I can take. I love you, but she's driving a wedge between us."

"No, no you can't think like that because than she will, she'll win." Xena rolled her eyes.

"Don't make this about your mother winning, this is not about that I never had a problem arguing with her keeps me sharp. What I have a problem with is when she intrudes on the time we make to be together as a couple. And the fact that you don't stand up for us."

"I try, but you know how it is when she pulls the mom card."

"Yes, I do, but I also stand up to my mother when it really matters because I am an adult. When it comes to us as a family you can not let her walk all over you because at this point in your life that's what she's doing." Drake sighed.

"You're right, I do need to grow a back bone where my mother is concerned. I will start telling my mother no." Xena nodded. They sat in silence and Drake ate a cake getting jelly on the side of his mouth. "So are we good?" Xena looked at him noting his blue hair.

"Yeah we're good," Xena said wiping the jelly off with her thumb and licking it before kissing him softly. He pulled her into his arms. "Come on let's get in bed we've got a very busy day tomorrow." He nodded and they went to bed.


	5. Ultimatum

Ultimatum

"Okay so I've decided to give you jobs you were born to do."

"What's that?" Ares asked.

"Aphrodite and Cupid you two are the official matchmaker. Usually parents arrange matches, but I think if we do it all through you than we can arrange matches from different parts of the countries and get some diversity, have better success at finding someone's match."

"Are these suppose to be guaranteed things?" Aphrodite asked.

"Two specials one is a more permanent betrothal and the other is a more see if your compatible and if not try again." They nodded. "I've decided that your place of residence should be in the capital which should be finished soon."

"I'm just glad we can still do what we love."

"What about me, I'm made for war?"

"And you've got like four generals between you and Drake," Lady Clara commented as they all sat in her personal counsel room.

"Hmm…I really didn't think about you Ares to be honest." They all laughed a little while he frowned.

"That's not funny what am I going to do."

"Look we'll brain storm in a moment, but right now let's see Meg and Joxer you two decided to start a chain of restaurants, Philemon I made a diplomat and gave you and Diana land. Leah your just my double, Hercules and Iolaus you two are my royal constables. You can go around helping people in the name of the Queen."

"Xena we help people because we want to not to support royalty."

"I know that, but if you read the history books you'll find that heroes aren't well liked."

"Why?" Iolaus asked.

"Because you're pansies," Ares told him. He scowled at him.

"Shut up Ares, I can kick your ass now without your Godly powers." Ares gave him an offending gesture.

"Stop it you two now look in the past in this realm heroes often have turned out to be nothing but fakes. They create these situations and than solve it so they can collect on money or other resources from hardworking people. The last hero swindled Drake's great-grandfather. Now there's a very draconian law that has heroes executed. If they think you're sanctioned by Drake and me than you'll be pretty much treated like you were in Greece. Mind you Arcadia is pretty peaceful and I strengthened the patrols to control bandits, but there's always something going on in the more rural areas." They nodded.

"Than that's where we'll travel."

"Well in that case I guess I'm just marrying Ares," Leah commented. Hercules shrugged not really caring he didn't love Leah the way he did Xena and she didn't deserve to always be compared to her look alike.

"What am I going to do?"

"Well we can't exactly put you in a position of such power."

"You should send him to Glacial," Gabrielle commented.

"Yeah, wait what's in Glacial?" Ares asked.

"No too many naïve people in Glacial besides Evzenek is doing great."

"Than what?" Gabrielle asked.

"Um…."

"I know he can join the patrols and work his way up to Captain. That's been turned into a separate division in itself."

"Lady Elizabeth I knew there was a reason I kept you around." She grinned.

"I could have thought of that."

"Well why didn't you?" Lady Sonya asked coming to her sister's aid. Gabrielle scowled as Ares snickered at her.

"That's perfectly fine," Ares told Xena, who nodded.

"Well than it's settled."

"Yeah, Rafe and Autolycus are well on their way to becoming merchants. Pretty much all of the women have become Amazons and finding their place there. Salmoneus is also back to his old ways so he's good, Iphicles has become a blacksmith, oh and Minya as well as your sister Lila, Gabs, have started a traveling troupe."

"Yeah my parents aren't thrilled and Sarah wants to spend time here with her Aunt Xena and her new cousin Naomi."

"Sorry Gabby I didn't mean to steal your niece."

"No, its fine I couldn't have picked anyone better for her to admire if it weren't me or her mother," Gabrielle replied. "Besides one of your little nieces wants to grow up Amazon which is all good."

"Ah that would be little Camille their mother was an amazon."

"Oh and here I thought it was all because of me." Xena laughed.

"In a way its you too."

"Why don't you two girls go have lunch while I talk to your mommy," Drake suggested to Eve and Melody, who were in the library with Xena who was studying Sultry's history and ancient language. She had been teaching the girls, but their interest had quickly turned to the books she had bought them full of fairy tales from Sultry. "I take it you're still angry with me."

"What?" Xena asked looking up from her book to be honest she had barely registered him telling the girls to go eat lunch. "Sorry I wasn't quite paying attention."

"To think you could be dead if I had bad intentions."

"No, I just registered that there was no danger and the girls were going for lunch or they would be. Girls put down the spider you know your not suppose to touch the black ones." Eve dropped the spider and Melody jumped on it, ending its life. Xena shook her head at them. "Come here." They ran over in their light trousers and tunics to keep them cool in the heat. "Now I want you two to go wash up and have lunch with both of your grandmothers, understand?" Eve nodded and Melody followed suit. "Give me a kiss before you go." Xena leaned a little farther down to receive a kiss from both of them. They both headed for the door.

"Hey what about my kiss?" Drake asked. They came back and gave him a kiss too. "They get more beautiful every day." They sighed.

"At this rate we're going to have to beat the boys away with a stick," Xena laughed.

"That's not funny, I don't want them dating. Boys are evil, all they do is take a girl's innocence away."

"This coming from the man who gets to take his wife's twice." Drake grinned.

"That's different, you're not my daughter." Xena laughed.

"I know you wish they won't ever grow up, but its inevitable and we have to accept that or lose them." Drake nodded sadly. "We can't coddle them forever."

"What if they want to be?"

"Than at some point we have to draw the line." Drake nodded. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"The wedding."

"What about it?" Xena asked.

"Well how's the planning coming?" Drake asked.

"Great we're done actually right now we're making sure everything goes smoothly."

"How big is this wedding?"

"Well Bedwyr and Cahal are coming with the rest of the pack for the wedding. Than there's the monarchs from Orient and I've invited all the monarchs of the surrounding lands including the ones we're on bad terms with as a peace offering. Than from across the sea there's monarchs from Hinterland, Stormy, Nemaria, Wasteland, Celt, and everyone else. Next we have to count all the nobles from here, Sultry, and Glacial. There will probably be important nobles accompanying their monarchs. Oh and it is custom for Sultry's subjects to attend their princess's wedding."

"We can't bring millions of people here!" Drake exclaimed.

"Who said we were having the wedding here?"

"The wedding is always here."

"Well we had it here last time, I thought a change of scenery would be nice. Besides you agreed with my father that the wedding would be in Sultry, its lucky I even found a compromise."

"What's wrong with Arcadia?"

"Absolutely nothing and you know it, besides we can't bring millions of people here, that's why I found a spell to temporarily extend our lands. They will meet…" Xena paused and retrieved an old map. She rolled it out on the table and pointed to an island, "here and that way everyone including our loyal subjects of Arcadia can attend and in Glacial. It's the best I can do to compromise. Besides its what I want."

"Do I ever get a say?" Drake asked. Xena looked at him as if he were trying to kill her.

"Drake one thing you seem to have forgotten and must remember is that this wedding is all about me."

"Yeah, but I'm getting married too." Xena rolled her eyes.

"Okay fine I see this is going to turn into some big argument I don't want us to have."

"Okay than good."

"What's wrong?" Xena asked after a moment.

"What?"

"Something's wrong, you never complain about anything when I'm planning something especially our wedding because you knew some of our plans and our first wedding you kept reminding me I could make it whatever I wanted and that it was all about me."

"Nothing is wrong."

"Did your mother do or say something?" Xena asked.

"No." He crossed his arms and looked away from her.

"Come on don't make me use necessary torture." He grinned and looked at her.

"I think you might have too."

"Okay, don't say I didn't warn you." She nibbled on his ear and Drake closed his eyes to enjoy it, but than it turned painful.

"Ow!" He cried pulling away and holding his throbbing ear.

"What did you think I was going to just let you sit there and enjoy it, now spill."

"Okay, okay I can't talk to my mother, I keep trying and it turns out I'm about as afraid of my mother as I am you and the only reason I'm in here now is because your friends scare me more and if you hear it from them you'd kick my ass about ten times worse than right now." Xena stared at him for a few moments.

"The wedding is off."

"What?" He asked in horror.

"The wedding is off, to be honest I only put up with your mother barging in when we were married because we were married. But since we're technically not anymore I won't enter into a marriage that can no longer last if we're never able to actually love each other anymore. The girls and Llyr and I are going to Sultry if you decide sometime to be a man for your family we'll consider returning."

"Xena…" Drake started. She stopped him.

"No, loving you from a far is not acceptable. I'd rather not put myself or our children through that I'd rather not marry you at all. Than to marry you and we grow apart. I can't put myself in the position to hate you." Xena left out barely containing her tears. It didn't take long to get everyone moving and packing. Cyrene took the news hard, but accepted it. Fiona was ecstatic Xena was leaving. Drake for the life of him wouldn't dream of Xena leaving him on purpose for what was feeling like for good.

"Xena, don't do this," He told her.

"If you want us back you know what you have to do, girls, Llyr say goodbye to your father."

"Daddy will see you all real soon," Drake promised them. He couldn't lose his family not like this not ever. He kissed their foreheads before Xena lifted them into carriage and got in. Her friends came with her thinking of it as a vacation or perhaps a move if necessary. They didn't know how welcome they would be if Drake just let Xena go.

"I knew he would fuck up," Ares commented from his horse.

"Shut up Ares its not him that's fucked up exactly."

"Well in any case you're free to be my wife."

"No, Drake will come through he always does, besides just because I'm leaving doesn't mean its over between us. It didn't in the past and I'll be damned if it does now."

"Oh thank the Gods," Cyrene cried from her seat in the carriage, I didn't know what to do."

"Mother you should know better than to think it was really over."

"I know darling, but I was thinking of the children."

"I know."

"Daddy gone?" Eve asked.

"No, we're just going to visit your Grandpa and your great-grandmother." Eve nodded. It was a very long journey, but King Rodrigo and Queen Romualda were pleased to see her arrive so early. Queen Romualda was furious about the wedding until Xena explained the reason behind why it was off. After that she focused on her grandchildren.


	6. Drake's Ultimatum

Drake's Ultimatum

"All right let's get this nasty splint off," Xena told Eve who nodded her head vigorously. Xena took off the splint. Eve happily used her arm again missing the use of it, but it was weak so Xena set her the task of completing some exercises every morning to regain its strength. She also got her own morning routine on schedule starting with exercises that Llyr joined her in along with Melody who still woke up early and needed her attention. Eve eventually joined her expressing her displeasure in being left out. Xena didn't mind wanting to encourage healthy activities.

"Princess over here!" Xena kicked the ball to one of her subjects. She was enjoying not being a Queen, which had its burdens, a princess's job was much either though just as annoying with its burdens sometimes because it was hard to just be normal. However her subjects in Sultry made her feel as if they didn't hold her on a pedestal even though they both knew they did.

"Why did I not think to create a football field back home," Xena muttered and than frowned. It had been a week and still nothing from Drake. She supposed he may be letting her cool down, he knew first hand that just because she didn't yell and throw things that it meant she wasn't furious with him.

"Can you two cool it we're in public, Drake and I never even did all that," Xena told her Cyrene and King Rodrigo before she sent the ball flying their way inspiring laughter.

"Xena!" They exclaimed once they had ended their lip lock to miss getting hit by the ball. Xena grinned at them.

"My bad when I see that much PDA I just lose control." Eve picked up the ball after fighting with Llyr and Melody to get it in the first place so she could take it to Xena. She ran on her short legs onto the field and Xena took the ball from her.

"Thank you baby, but go apologize to Llyr and Melody." Eve grinned at her and nodded after she got her kiss. Xena resumed the game amid cheers from other spectators, but mostly her children. Llyr in particular was howling his cheers and clapping. She had finally got him to wear trousers. All his clothing were made from fur and finally tailored to maintain what he was use too.

"Mother how can you be happy, it's your fault, Xena left."

"I say good ridden to her, Lady Lane is perfect for you," Fiona told him. "Marry her instead she'll give you an heir, a son."

"I have an heir mother, her name is Eve and she is your granddaughter, and don't tell me you've already forgotten Melody as well. And if you have noticed I have a son."

"You mean that mutt?" Fiona asked. "A dog is not a son."

"Llyr is not a dog!" Drake yelled getting angry. "He is my son."

"Don't you raise your voice at me young man, I am your mother and I will not stand for this." Drake groaned squeezing his eyes shut as his fists tightened in anger. "Now I know what's best for you and you're marrying Lady Lane, and no I haven't forgotten my granddaughters they belong to you not her, she can keep the mutt if she likes, but I will bring my granddaughters up properly so they can marry for the better of the Kingdom."

"Oh damn it mother, you hate her so much that you would see me unhappy?" Drake asked.

"Don't be a fool Drake, Lady Lane can make you perfectly happy."

"No mother she can make you perfectly happy, because unlike Xena she won't challenge everything you say to her or do."

"Xena is nothing but a manipulative bitch, I see the way she controls you, Lady Lane knows her place." For the first time in his life Drake actually thought about hitting a woman, and his mother no less. He moved backwards to ensure that he didn't do anything he'd never forgive himself for that he would rather die than do.

"Did you ever stop the think that maybe I like it when she bosses me around, maybe just maybe I think it's sexy, it turns me on. So trust me when I say if I ever married Lady Lane we would never ever consummate the marriage even she tried to be something she's not. I love Xena."

"I see she has you brain washed."

"I am not brain washed mother stop it, I've had enough of you driving a wedge between us you're just going to have to accept that we're getting married and actually be there for us without intruding on us when we're making time for ourselves or release your status as Dowager and join Grandma." Fiona looked as if Drake had slapped her in the face.

"I wouldn't dare go live with that...that...woman," Fiona said a burning hate filling her voice.

"Well than it's your choice."

"Well its not as if she's so angel too when it comes to me," Fiona groaned. "You'll blame me for the first argument that happens and ship me off like an ungrateful son." Drake frowned.

"Mother to be honest she'd think I'd beat you if you stopped arguing with her. The arguing is fine, you two stop on your own, that's your problem. It's my problem when we're having dinner together alone without the children and you come in unannounced or when ever we're trying to spend time alone."

"All right, all right I'll stop barging in when I know you're trying to be alone. But I still hate her and she's going to know it, I draw the line there."

"Yes mother, that's all she ever asked for." Fiona left out fuming that Xena had one up on her.

"Now to go get my family." He hurried to his horse and guards to head for Sultry, by the time he arrived it would be time for the wedding. He ordered everyone to be ready to attend.


	7. The Wedding

The Wedding

"These tattoos were put on me by own grandmother on the first day of the three days until my wedding," Queen Romualda told Xena as she wrote symbols of fertility and blessings for daughters all over Xena's naked form. But most importantly the ones done around her navel and neck were for Drake. It was to create sex appeal to entice the man into consummating the marriage with his bride, everyone knew if the male wasn't up than the marriage would never be consummated.

"Remember when I put these tattoos on you, on your first wedding day just like my mother did for me?" Cyrene asked Xena. In Glacial each family had on their own set of symbols passed down. Related families could have the same symbols.

"Yeah, but it was never this cold," Xena commented.

"That's because they're the real thing this time, though of course they come off. They complicate your grandmother's tattoos well." Xena nodded looking in the mirror. On the third day the tattoos were set in and a huge feast was thrown, as it was to be her last meal with her family as an unmarried woman. Afterwards that night she was taken to be bathed in the sacred river which took away any impurities. Her tattoos remained on.

"Oh Xena you look gorgeous," Cyrene commented the day of the wedding. She was happy that she had convinced Xena to go through with the wedding rituals and now the wedding though Drake still hadn't arrived yet.

"Yes, but the question still remains on whether or not I'll get married tonight," Xena replied sadly as she looked in the mirror admiring her slim figure. She had lost the ten pounds easily enough by returning her morning routine. While she was absolutely stunning she was sad because they had heard nothing from Drake at all.

She had every intention of marrying him if he fixed everything. She feared the possibility of the night passing with no wedding. She remembered her first wedding, which had taken place during the day, on the same day three years earlier. She had been so happy except when Fiona had stolen so attention away from her by showing up in white as if in mourning on this particular day. Now though her dress was red and gold for the ceremony and for the reception she planned on wearing her first wedding dress to honor all three of her countries. In Arcadia you wore blue and Glacial you wore white.

"He'll come dear, don't give up yet."

"It's an hour until the wedding is suppose to start though."

"Xena you forget he has to come from very far away, he'll make it." Xena nodded.

"I hope that's the only thing delaying him and not what I think."

"Its just pre-wedding jitters," Cyrene laughed. "The fact you still have them after three years is a good sign." Xena chuckled a little too lighten her mood.

"Yeah I guess so." Cyrene wanting to keep her lightened mood up spoke again.

"Now Xena as your mother I must inform you that on your wedding night your husband and you must consummate the marriage." Xena started laughing, but decided to play along and play the part of the innocent bride. After all at her first wedding she had brushed her mother off and told her she knew all about what was suppose to happen even if she hadn't done it.

"Oh, and how exactly do I consummate the marriage?" Cyrene laughed a little too as she put the final touches on Xena's hair and placed the veil on her head leaving her face exposed.

"Well there are several if not hundreds of very well known positions." Instead of laughing Xena's jaw dropped at her mother's extensive knowledge of some positions that she had never heard of and thought Drake and her would get hurt trying.

"Oh and my new favorite, but simple one."

"Oh my God no, no, no, no more, I'm good I got it loud and clear." Xena held up her hand.

"Oh come Xena, you have to hear this one…" Xena was relieved when she heard Eve calling her.

"Saved by my daughter," She whispered in relief.

"Mommy, mommy!" Eve called running into the room in a beautiful red dress with a blue sash and her basket full of fire rose petals. "Mommy, Mommy!" Melody followed her in wearing a blue dress with a red sash and basket full of ice rose petals.

"Mommy!" Melody yelled more than called. Llyr also came in wearing a suit and carrying a pillow from Arcadia. It had been used in her first wedding. He would carry the rings and such.

"What's wrong?" Xena asked them.

"Daddy's here!" Eve exclaimed in excitement before they all hurried out to see him. When they confirmed it was Drake. They ushered Xena back into her room. It was bad luck to see the bride before the wedding. She could only listen in vain as he greeted the children while she was ushered back to her room.

"Cyrene where's Xena I have to talk to her."

"You can talk in a moment right now you have to get ready just in case like the rest of us." Drake sighed knowing he wasn't going to win. He was given a fine silk white shirt, a red jacket he knew Xena picked out in his style and a gold sash put over it. He wore black pants and shoes.

"Awe now you look like father and son," Cyrene told him as she straightened Llyr's jacket and sash even though his sash was blue.

"Now may I speak with my wife to be?"

"Put on your gloves, and Drake for God's sake do not wear your hair blue everyone will think your sad remember the rumor's last time."

"But I am sad."

"But today is my daughter's wedding and you will not ruin it with blue hair, there's a lot of blue in the wedding, but my God on you she'll think your sad. Do you want to see your bride cry?" Drake rolled his eyes as if Xena would cry she'd hit him until he told her why he was sad and he'd be in more physical pain than he was emotionally.

"No, and she wouldn't cry she'd hurt me if she interpreted my hair to reflect my emotions. Besides the whole point of blue being the color theme in Arcadia especially on the bride is to convey that she is sad to be leaving her family."

"Yes the bride, and on the husband in this wedding that says, I'm sad I have to marry her."

"Fine is red okay?" Drake asked. "It matches the suit he said." He had to concentrate hard and think angry to get his hair red. He usually couldn't control it, but every now and than if he concentrated.

"No stop it, black hair, that's the color Xena likes best on you though Red would be appropriate black is what she likes." Drake nodded. It was harder getting to black or blond even purposely because they weren't connected to a particular emotion but the indecision of looking more like his mother or father from his birth that had been never solved. Llyr led him to Xena's room where she was pacing impatiently. He knocked.

"Come in," She answered. She turned towards the door and saw him before he did her as the door opened. "Stop its bad luck to see me!" He stopped and turned around walking backwards into the room as she turned around too so as not to see him as she covered the mirror. They stood back to back. "You came."

"Yes, today's the day we get married isn't it."

"Yes, provided that I be allowed to love you."

"My mother and I talked and I gave her an ultimatum. I can't make promises of her being nice and no arguing…"

"Drake I won't marry you if you told her not to argue with me, you would make me so unhappy."

"No, no I didn't tell her that, she'll always argue and hate you…"

"Oh thank God you had me worried there, but what about the problem I wanted fixed." Drake grinned at his wife and shook his head. She hit him and he knew he was caught, so he chuckled out loud.

"Sorry, but yes that problem is fixed, she's promised not to intrude on our alone time."

"Good, than I didn't waste my time getting dressed tonight, you don't know how relieved I am."

"I think I do," Drake told her relieved that she had, had faith enough in him to get ready like the others.

"I'd kiss you, but we can't look at each other."

"I was thinking the same thing." They laughed.

"Great minds think a like."

"We're two peas in the same pod," Drake told her.

"Always and forever now go you've made me smear my massacre knowing I have to look beautiful and don't you dare sneak a peak." Drake grinned.

"I wouldn't dare, I like surprises." He squeezed her hand before he left out. When the door clicked shut Xena wiped her tears of joy away and fixed her make up. Today was once again turning into the fourth happiest day of her life. The first two were the birth of her daughters however the unconventional way Melody's birth had come about. The third was the day Llyr made it known he was staying with her. The fifth day was the day she first saw Drake and knew that she loved him.

Queen Romualda cast the spell connecting the three lands and Monarchs and nobles poured in most getting the seats set up because they got a physical invitation to the wedding. Amazons who had moved to Glacial and Sultry could be seen by their distinctive new clothing to adjust to their environments from the ones who had stayed in Glacial. Her nieces were dressed in blue dresses with white sashes around the middle. The white no longer symbolized death in the wedding but Glacial. Her nephews wore white coats with gold sashes since red being the dominate color for the bride and groom.

"Xena we have a problem," Cyrene told Xena before the wedding started.

"What's wrong?" Xena asked. Leah, Diana, and Meg walked into the room with their husband or lover in Leah's case.

"They're what's wrong, they look like you and well they're hot," Gabrielle said. She had been standing next to Xena trying to break the news, but she couldn't so Cyrene did. Xena looked at Meg, Leah, and Diana who looked at her wondering what to do.

"Well it's my wedding day and I have to be the most beautiful woman in the room and now I'm three times more beautiful. This is not a problem just awesome." Everyone let out a breath the fear of bridezilla diminished greatly. No telling the beast would rear its ugly head if something went too wrong. No wedding day true enough went off without a hitch, but there were just some things that would never be tolerated.

"Come on we have to be at the portal," Lady Clara said ushering everyone out of the room."

"Xena we have another problem," Cyrene told her as they waited to exit the portal, her bridesmaids were already going through. Sarah and Naomi looked on alarmed. Xena was definitely going to be angry especially now that the procession had started. Cyrene hated to tell Xena, but she would be angry with her if she didn't tell her.

"What?" Xena asked. "What could possibly be wrong now?" Fiona walked into the room wearing red no one except Xena, Drake, and the children should have even a little red on not even a stain.

"Fiona what are you doing, you're not suppose to wear red."

"Oh my bad I thought you were wearing blue dear." She walked out completely out of order to Xena's horror creating shocked gasps.

"Don't you dare let her ruin your wedding you walk out there with your head held high you're a Sultry Princess and we've never let a mother in law stand in the way at our wedding before." Xena nodded as her nieces and nephews walked out after Naomi and Sarah brought up the rear of the bride's maids and grooms men. Gabrielle silently comforted her before whispering into her ear.

"You're gorgeous Xena and you'll outshine her by a mile though I say your problem started with your look a likes, you really keep forgetting how hot you are." Xena laughed. She had, had a problem dulling her own beauty on her look a likes, but she dimmed it enough that in a sense she couldn't outshine herself. But at the same time they were still hot and as she had said earlier it would add to her beauty.

"Okay maid of honor it's not proper to hit on the bride," Xena chuckled before they hugged.

"Don't make a fuss sis, because once you walk out there all eyes will be on you and Fiona is going to fail in her little attempt to somehow make you less special at your own wedding." Xena smiled.

"Thanks Torres I needed that."

"No, thank you for not becoming a total bridezilla you've had us on egg shells for months and its finally over." Xena laughed as Torres escorted Gabrielle, who walked out dressed in a lovely dress that could be worn again. It was a slightly darker blue than the other bride's maids were and after Gabrielle went Cyrene and Queen Romualda followed.

"Okay girls, Llyr you're on. Remember heads up shoulders back throw the pedals on the floor. Llyr hold the pillow straight and don't drop anything." They went through.

"You look gorgeous darling, and I'm so happy I get to give you away."

"Thank you Daddy," Xena told him. He was wearing black as customary for the father to wear. He kissed her forehead.

"I love you."

"I love you too Daddy." He placed her veil over her face before they both stepped through the portal as the music played. Everyone was standing now and all eyes were on her. She however was only looking at Drake. She kept her head up and walked gracefully. No one cared that Fiona had tried to draw attention to herself. They stopped at the steps and her father took off her veil. A symbol that she was being in essence given away, but Xena didn't like that idea of being given away like property. So it was now a symbol that she was leaving.

"Who blesses this union?" The priestess asked.

"I bless this union and trust this man to protect my daughter as she protects him," Cyrene said kissing both of Xena's cheeks and placing her crown on her head.

"I bless this union and accept my daughter as a woman. I trust this man to protect her as she would him and all their children. As I have protected her all her life." King Rodrigo kissed her cheek and took his seat next to Cyrene.

"I bless this union and trust this man to love and honor my sister and protect her as I always will," Torres said hugging her. He had directed the last bit at Drake to let him know his warning still held ground. Drake gave him a slight nod.

Drake stepped down and took another veil from Gabrielle covered her with it face and all. The first veil symbolized her as being unmarried and still living at home. The new veil symbolized her creating her own family and raising her own brood.

"I bless our union and trust you as you trust me." Xena took his crown from her brother, who was his best man, and placed it on his head.

"I bless our union and trust you as you trust me." He led her up the steps under the canopy, which symbolized their home. There was a sacred fire burning in the middle taken from the flame in the temple in Sultry that continuously burned.

The priestess spoke, "In the beginning of time man and woman were one. Than one day they split in half and torn apart. Nurtured by nature they learned to live apart, but longed for their other half. When nature directed man to woman they became one again spiritually. They could no longer survive without each other. They drank together, they ate together, they slept together. On this day you become one."

"Iolaus she's telling my story about soul mates," Gabrielle mouthed him.

"I know they even have a version here weird," Iolaus mouthed back. Xena shot them both a glare that only they saw and they turned their attention back on her fully.

The priestess handed Xena a small glass cup full of the wine they had both made months ago together. Xena than passed it to Drake and he drank than they had to walk around the sacred fire with Xena leading rather than Drake.

Next she spoke again, "Listen, always listen." They drank some more this time Drake drank first and led her around the fire.

"Once woman ruled and than man had its turn. Now we have reached equality in marriage. As you take your next drink you promise the other equality and never shall one rule the other more." They used wooden tubes to drink at the same time, and than walk together with neither of them leading.

"You're not Diana are you?" Drake whispered to her as they walked.

"Oh ha ha very funny and it's a little late to be asking that isn't it?" Xena whispered back. Drake looked at her through her veil than at Diana, Meg, and Leah assured that his wife was next to him, but at the same time unsure.

"Yes, but I'll know for sure when I get to kiss you." Xena didn't replied.

"Blessed are the children from the womb and just as blessed are the adopted," The priest spoke as they brought their children to stand before them. She wondered what was keeping Melody in particular so quiet. She wasn't exactly a quiet child like Eve could be. Eve was observant and only went into action after carefully reviewing a situation most of the time more than she was impulsive and talkative. Like Xena she didn't display her emotions for the world to read often.

Melody however displayed her emotions all the time, but was learning to hide them when necessary like Drake. She could be loud, impulsive, and talkative. She hardly ever gave a thought to what the outcome of her actions would be. But she was one that was expected of her. That worried Xena she was usually getting into things, she should of made a disturbance. Than she saw the candy in her mouth that would have repercussions at the reception when she finally unstuck it from the roof of her mouth and the sugar set in.

"Blessed is the father in his role in creating beautiful children in the future or past now too in this case." Everyone chuckled. There were also some people making noises of shame that they were just now getting married.

"Oh hey there'll be none of that," Drake said turning slightly. "As far as we knew we were legally married." That shut the annoying spectators up while others laughed. He drank from the wine cup.

"I still say you're a slut!" He told Drake. Men were called whores in Sultry not women. Xena turned to face him, her eyes turned red for a brief second and the man found himself on fire.

"You should really be more careful of the flowers," Xena commented. While it was possible for the roses to set people on fire he shouldn't have. Everyone else gulped knowing that Xena would not tolerate a disturbance in her wedding as she had already chosen to overlook Fiona's color of dress and even she was behaving aside from the dress to express her displeasure. All the women of Sultry smirked, they would have done the same thing to the man at their own wedding and a few of them had done it to someone. Today was a day of blessing and happiness no one should ruin that for them.

"Blessed is the mother for breathing life into the child and nourishing her in her womb and at her breast." Xena drank from the cup.

"Blessed are the daughters for filling your lives with more love and happiness than you could ever imagine." Eve as the eldest drank next and than Melody who Xena helped. She still had trouble successfully using a cup without spilling Xena didn't want her dress ruined.

"Blessed is the son as he provides protection and male companionship especially when the father cannot."

"Oh thanks make me feel even worse," King Rodrigo told the priestess it was all part of the ceremony as everyone laughed and Llyr drank before giving her the cup back. No one commented that he did not drink, as they would call civilized even though he was perfectly capable of drinking quote on quote civilized. Xena and Drake led their children one at a time around the fire and than one more for all future children, which they walked together as a family.

"And if I'm not Xena, than what would you do?" Xena asked as they all walked together on their fourth walk.

"Halt the wedding and kiss every last one of you until I found you." Xena chuckled. "Oh yeah you're my wife." The Priestess put the cup down before the priest who had married them first took over.

"You will now make your vows to each other. These vows will be held sacred and followed for eternity as long as you both shall live." Xena and Drake turned to each other. "Before they begin does anyone have any objections, ill wishes, curses, or plans for ruining the wedding. If so please speak or act now or forever hold your peace." Xena and Drake along with others in the front row looked around. No one moved though there was some coughing before everyone turned to Fiona.

"You have nothing to say?" Xena asked. Fiona started to sneer, but than smiled at her.

"I love you Xena," Fiona told her. Xena's mouth nearly dropped open as she studied Fiona for a moment.

"Thanks you've just created the low point of my wedding day that hurt deeply."

"Mother," Drake said.

"Okay, okay sorry, Xena I hate you, matter of fact I absolutely loathe you."

"Thank you Fiona that's all I wanted to hear, I loathe you too."

"Is there anyone else?" The priestess asked. "Because seriously, this ceremony is a lot of work disturb the peace now while we're halfway through. Because no one likes an ending to be disturbed." Nothing happened.

"Okay than now the vows, Drake."

"I, Drake, King of Arcadia, take you, Xena, Princess of Sultry, Archduchess of Glacial, into my heart as my wife and rightful Queen." He turned to Llyr and picked up a beautiful necklace made from fire it seemed, but his gloves protected him while she lifted her veil to help him out. "Fire for our burning love." He took ice-cold earrings off the pillow. "Ice so that time will freeze every special moment we share together." He put them on her ears. He noticed they weren't ice at all, but diamonds. While the necklace which were not hot coals, but pearls of a fiery color shaped like roses. "And with this ring I thee wed and give you a representation of my never ending love. A promise that I will love, honor, trust, respect, and cherish you every precious moment in life and in death."

"I, Xena, Princess of Sultry, Archduchess of Glacial, take you, Drake, King of Arcadia, into my heart as my husband and rightful Archduke and Prince." Llyr moved closer to her. "Fire for our burning love." She place a pendant of a fiery rose on his sash before grabbing a ice-cold diamond earring which she made warm enough for him to bare. " Ice to freeze every moment we share together good or bad." He grimaced a little when she pierce his pinna. "And with this ring I thee wed and give you a representation of my never ending love. A promise that I will love, respect, honor, trust, and cherish you every precious second in life and death. "

"And apparently out do me in every expression of love." Everyone laughed.

"Always and forever."

"Always and forever," He repeated words that meant something deeper to them than the people around them.

"The couple will now take the seven sacred vows."

"May we be blessed with an abundance of food."

"May we be strong and complement one another."

"May we be blessed with prosperity."

"May we be eternally happy."

"May we be blessed with children."

"May we live in perfect harmony."

The priest and the woman priest said the last one together along with everyone else, "May Xena and Drake always be the best of friends."

"May we always be the best of friends," They said while staring into each other's eyes as they finished the last walk. Drake lifted her veil and they kissed keeping G rated knowing if it was something more they'd scar the entire wedding party for life including their children. Fiona stood up and joined them at the altar.

The glass they drank wine from was put on the floor and Fiona broke it to symbolize her acceptance of the marriage and well wishes before taking her seat as everyone clapped and cheered. They weren't expecting her to break it, rather refuse.

"To many more arguments between us Xena, and to watching my grandchildren grow up." Everyone clapped. "Son I warned you."

"And thank you mother," Drake replied happy she had broken the glass.

"I join you two together with two separate cords." Both of there hands were tied together to show the unity of their marriage. "Now tie a knot into those separate cords and put it around your partner." They both tied a knot on one of the two separate cords that bound them before they tie it onto the other's wrist.

"In the beginning woman and man could not speak. To show woman that she was the center of his very existence his core, he walked around her three times," The priest recited. Drake walked around Xena three times.

"Woman knowing no other way to communicate the same thing walked around man three times to show she understood and that her feelings were mutual." Xena walked around Drake three times. The Priest and Priest than spoke together.

"When the first child was born man and woman walked around their child to show that a new center had been born and kissed that child when they realized their feelings were mutual." Drake and Xena walked around their children and kissed them. Eve was super pleased to have a more active part in the ceremony even though Cyrene had been repeating over and over that the day was to be all about her mother. Which prompted her next move. Eve walked around Xena.

"Well I guess the Princess has said my next line," The Priestess commented with humor as everyone said awe that little Eve was saying her mother was the center of her world, which was true even if she didn't quite understand what walking around her mother meant. Melody naturally followed suit, she was always following Eve. Llyr did also thinking it was the right thing to do.

"Daddy gets no love," Drake commented.

"Get use to it brother in law," Torres told him. "They will never love you as much as they love Xena. Daddy's useful, but he's not mommy."

"I know," Drake said hanging his head. "Oh how I know." Xena chuckled.

"Well I love you."

"Yeah only because somebody has too." They laughed before she kissed her children again because they deserved it for making her day more special.

"Now to really tie the knot. The knot that will hang above you marital bed when you sleep and make love and create your beautiful daughters." Xena refrained from looking at anyone especially Drake and was grateful that her veil was covering the sides of her face from veil of everyone except the priest and priestess as they faced them again. The priestess and priest took a longer cord and tied them together around the waist in a knot. They could take it off at the reception. They walked around and than through the fire to show that their marriage could and would withstand anything thrown at them. As it had already survived the hardships thrown their way. All that was left for them to do was jump the broom and for fireworks to fill the sky as their soldiers lined up down the isle their swords creating an arc over head.

"I now pronounce…" They started, as they were about to jump the broom. A huge explosion went off sending everyone flying or on their butts in shock as several more followed in its wake.


	8. War all over again

War all over again

"I came, I saw, I will conquer!" was all anyone heard as another series of attacks commenced.

"Eve, Melody, Llyr!" Xena and Drake called recovering quickly only having been knocked on their butts unlike others who went flying. Eve and Melody were crying, as was Llyr, who got hit by a chair. His mouth was bleeding.

"Everyone back to your homes or castle." Everyone from Glacial ran for their portal as they got up taking with them any wounded as did people from Arcadia and Sultry.

"They came from Arcadia," King Rodrigo yelled. Drake immediately ran to protect his people seeing his wife being surrounded by guards from all three countries going back to Sultry against her wishes. Soon there was nothing left, but the burning remnants of a beautiful and colorful wedding on the lonely island in the sea that had once been the connecting point for three countries.

Caesar stood in the center laughing before General Ving returned him to his base. Xena saw to her children before she talked with the Monarchs all offering reinforcements when she needed it. She thanked them and said she might just take them up on the offer. Once they were all gone including Cahal and Bedwyr who she sent to Arcadia to help out Drake as needed until she had things situated on her end.

"I'm so sorry he ruined your wedding," Cyrene told Xena as she angrily took off her dress. Until a few minutes ago she had been happy now she was angry, she shouldn't have been angry. She should have been dancing with her husband at their reception and shyly awaiting their honeymoon in Sultry's private isles, but no once again Caesar was ruining her life.

"Xena we're ready when you are," Hercules told her from outside the door. "And I'm terribly sorry, for what it's worth the ceremony was beautiful I've never seen a ceremony convey such love." Xena didn't reply as she heard his retreating footsteps.

"You have nothing to be sorry for mother, this war was a long time coming. I just wish he hadn't chosen my wedding to finally attack, but I suppose he was waiting for today or tonight really. Thank you for planning my wedding I loved it until it was destroyed. Xena kissed her children goodbye until it was safe before walking pass the huge ballroom they would have held the reception in. She had especially made her own wedding cake and now it was wasted.

"Kill 'em all!" Xena yelled. They raised their swords cheering women from Sultry and Men from Glacial along with her friends, who didn't quite agree. There were some amazons as well. Queen Romualda erected a huge portal since the lands were no longer connected. Xena led them straight into the battle that raged when she arrived. They had attempted to storm Dragon City, but even when it was empty they could penetrate the walls that magically erected themselves.

Xena channeled all her anger into her sword mowing down Romans. Gabrielle protected her back alternating with Hercules as she went to save her fellow amazons from being killed if she could help. Xena wasn't surprised to see a young boy, but she put in the extra effort to make sure he wasn't sliced down by her blade, but rather knocked unconscious by the hilt of her sword. The fighting lasted for hours and it seemed there was no end until finally when they had taken a hill that was strategic on this particular battlefield the Romans retreated.

"Take Prisoners!" Xena yelled.

"Xena," Ares said.

"Not now Ares I'm not in the mood."

"You were hot, I mean awesomely hot, I have missed seeing you in battle." Xena ignored Ares as she looked for Drake helping wounded a long the way to the castle. She only found Drake in the castle looking worried and covered in blood as he wrote to her. He hadn't realized she had joined the battle.

"You messed up your suit." He grinned.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I'll get it fixed before we jump the broom and go on our honeymoon."

"I bet, but we both know this is going to be a long war before we see peace again."

"I'm sorry your wedding was ruined."

"No it's fine everything else went off as perfectly as possible except the end."

"Funny our wedding won't end technically until we're actually pronounced husband and wife." Xena chuckled.

"Well it'll be the longest wedding ever recorded."

"We'll have it pronounced so at least we're married, the honeymoon can wait, we waited this long." Xena nodded. She fixed the scratch on his arm before she rested. She wanted all of her strength to fight Caesar now he was intruding on her home.

"A bastard like Caesar is going to be hard to take down," Ares commented at the war council. Gabrielle, Artemis, Ephiny, Eponin, and Solari represented the Amazon nation. But Amarice and Flora had also shown up.

"Definitely but our forces out number his legions by two thousand to one regiment at least, which only have a few hundred men. But he's caught us at a disadvantage. The armies are not merged, but three separate forces. I can't legally do that until Drake and I am pronounced married and than we have to go through an entirely different ceremony just so I can be crowned Queen."

"How about a treaty than?" Ares asked.

"Yes, Drake's working on that now so we can merge our armies now and bypass the law."

"But that still doesn't make up for the lack there of, of training they have together as one force, the Romans have us at a disadvantage there."

"I know, and the fighting styles are vastly different. We're in luck that Arcadia's army and Sultry's army can adapt easily in times of war to any ally. However Glacial their war tactics is different we have a show no mercy policy and they have a show no mercy policy. But they're weak, yet their strength is all in how they're strategically placed." Ares nodded the screws of his mind working over time to remedy the situation and satisfy the powerful bloodlust in his veins.

"Who is this General Ving exactly, I know he was responsible for our imprisonment?" Iolaus asked. A huge purple ball appeared in the center of the table and showed General Ving's face.

"General Ving, a native to Slovenia to the West. The smuggest bastard on earth if you ask me."

"More smug than me?" Ares asked with a grin. Xena grinned back a little.

"Yes, so much more smug than you, but so much more weaker some years ago when I gave him that ugly scar on his face and slaughtered the entire army. I never told you he has a history of interrupting my wedding day. Last time it was the reception, but we were fairly done by than. That was after his scar and before I slaughtered his army. Drake's father was killed by him in-between than."

"Damn you slaughtered his army over your wedding."

"Yeah," Xena said nodding. "And for the people of Arcadia."

"I say channel that rage again, and we just might have a chance," Ares told her.

"No, I have to fight with love not hate and rage like them."

"Xena's right and if all else fails Xena you should probably think about letting the beast out is all I'm saying, sometimes its not a bad idea to use your bad side for good," Hercules told her. Everyone looked at him in shock as Drake entered with the treaty.

"Sign here darling and we have our treaty."

"What?" Xena asked looking at him.

"The treaty, what's wrong with you guys?" Drake asked seeing their shocked looks at Hercules.

"I'll tell you later, where's the rest of the war council." They entered and Drake was saved from answering as he pulled a map down on the wall. Xena read the treaty. Satisfied she signed it next to Drake's signature along with the other council. Currently she had no council in Glacial and ruled supreme. Queen Romualda entered and signed the treaty after reading it before she took a seat. King Rodrigo also made an appearance along with their generals.

"All right General Ving and Caesar have set up their camp on our northern border near Moscow, which they've completely taken, everyone who was there during the attack is either dead or on their way here," Drake told them. Xena looked at Lady Agnes who nodded and departed.

"Scouts tell me that they haven't moved out of the Moscow region. In fact there are tons of Villagers and Farmers who are virtually unaffected at the moment. I've already dispatched a group of soldiers to get them packed and moving towards Dragon City.

"What about the villages, and workers at Illusia?" Cyrene asked.

"They know of the danger, but most have opted to keep working, however I've ordered the immediate evacuation of all children. If anything the children will be safe.

"We already have a host of orphans here," Fiona cried. Everyone ignored her.

"The fact of the matter is our command post needs to be Illusia, there's a reason its there, a very strategic location and if they gain control there, we may as be screwed," Xena told them. Everyone nodded.

"How are we on supplies?" Queen Romualda asked. "Sultry had more than enough surplus crops this year. Xena how is Glacial?"

"Glacial produces only enough crops for its people and enough surplus to keep their Archduke well fed for at least ten years of war taking place on their own soil every year. So we have a large surplus that could be re-routed here if need be to the army or people. Arcadia is not doing so well. We had a good harvest considering just a year ago we began to recover from the war with Ubel. Plus some farmers tried to grow crops in the winter and some failed while others did not."

"We're going to have a famine brought on by war on our hands," Queen Romualda commented.

"I know, we're also going to have to limit fishing from the rivers and stuff. There won't be anything left.

"Gather teams of teenagers, girls and boys a like to make trips to the ocean and fish to compensate."

"The villages on the coast could also be responsible for such duties." They nodded. Soon they talked more about actual fighting and where to post regiments and scouts. What strategic places they would need to gain.

"Remember you will be responsible for alerting Bedwyr and Cahal of our signal to attack."" They nodded and bowed before going through the portal. As soon the refugees arrived they were immediately sent to work on the farms even residents who were waiting to find their home again in Illusia as well as Moscow's residents. The children were evacuated to Sultry, Constance was happy to be able to play with Eve, Melody, and Llyr again.

"Are you all right?" Drake asked as she lay back on the furs in their tent.

"I'm fine, just not looking forward to the lives this war is going to take. More civilians will die than soldiers."

"I know, but we're doing everything we can to prevent that from happening."

"I know, I'm going to visit the children, their probably asleep but I need to see them."

"Yeah, you know I never truly knew the risk I took fighting until the first time I held Eve in my arms, because at that moment I knew more than ever I was finally a Daddy."

"I had that feeling too every time I'd have to fight when I was pregnant gave me tons of nightmares. But that's why we strive so hard for peace, for our children and for their children." She opened the flap of the tent to show the many soldiers. She let it fall again.

"You know who ever the first person was that told a warrior that peace would be easy to obtain obviously never fought in a war and never held their child."

"Probably, but even Rome wasn't built in a day." She kissed him and left him to his own thoughts.

"What are you doing back?" King Rodrigo asked. He was assembling more warriors.

"I came to see the children." King Rodrigo nodded and kissed her forehead. When she entered her old nursery it was familiar and reminded her a good time in her childhood even though she didn't quite remember it still. Eve, Llyr, and Melody were sleeping in their respective beds.

"Can I get you anything Princess?" The maid asked standing up. Xena put a finger to her lips.

"No, go back to sleep. She went back to sleep on her pallet. Xena went to each of her children and kissed their foreheads and rubbed the sides of their faces. Llyr she had to bend down farther for because he preferred to sleep by the father. She also made Melody's bed a little colder. The poor thing was getting hot.

"I love you," Xena whispered to them before she left quietly. When she returned she made Drake go see them.

"You woke them didn't you," Xena said as she sharpened her sword without looking up from her place on the log. Gabrielle was in the center just a few feet away making the camp dinner, especially after Joxer offered. He would take out the whole army and do Caesar a favor if he did.

"How did you know?"

"You always wake them up." Drake chuckled.

"So it seems." He kissed her.

"I suggest you stop unless you plan on taking me back to the tent to finish this."

"Oh no I said the honeymoon and I meant it." Xena sighed. "So don't try to tempt me devil."

"Don't worry, there won't be much time for that."

"Dinner!" Gabrielle yelled. Xena and Drake made sure all the soldiers had food before they too ate.

"Good luck, I love you," Xena whispered to Drake. Drake would be rising a little earlier than Xena to lead the ground troops, though Xena doubted she wouldn't wake up with him. She wanted him so much, but he was resolute in his promise to exhaust her on their honeymoon because of her returned virginal state. She hated Ubel's mother with a passion just as much as she hated Caesar. In either scenario without them interfering with her life she should have been making love to her husband. But no instead all she got was a hug and chaste kiss, so he could control himself. She knew Drake wanted her, but he had made her a promise and he was determined to keep it even if it meant torture and not just on his part this time. She couldn't wait to feel their bare skin upon each other, that alone she thought could make her reach the heights of her pleasure with Drake.

"I love you Xena, good luck." Drake wanted to make love to Xena badly, to whisper sweet words in her ear. To have sweet words repeated in his ear. He wanted her breath to caress the side of his face as her hands took care of the rest of his body. He longed to rub his fingers through her hair leave a trail of hot burning kisses along her neck. He groaned at the thought as she embraced him remembering the feel of their arms around each other.

"You only have to give up," Xena whispered in his ear.

"No, you are a virgin again and I will not be some brute and take you in anything less than your palace gardens in the Gazebo, our private dining rooms, one of our bedrooms, and on a royal ship. You deserve better than a war tent on old furs used by my male ancestors to bed their whores or war slaves. You are my wife."

"We can role play, I'll be the whore and you can be your ancestor." Drake moved back away from her and shook his head.

"No, maybe when you're a little more experienced..." He didn't finish his sentence as Xena picked up a pillow and hit him as he grinned at his choice of words provoking her on purpose out of fun and to keep her from tempting him. However it backfired on him as he had finally bested her and was tickling her. All her wiggling just sparked a fire, he was trying to keep burning low until he was ready. It didn't help he was essentially already in position. The only thing prohibiting them was clothing. When he stopped she took no notice to his distress at what he'd gotten himself into and pulled him down into a much longed for kiss.

"Don't worry I won't let you break your promise, completely."

"Xena," He whispered in weak protest. "No I won't be able to stop."

"I can, I promise not to let you break your promise, I know how important it is to you." He trusted her, but he knew he only had to make her forget and promise or no they were both breaking their promise. He indulged himself in her neck as she extinguished the light in the tent. They heard visible groans from outside their tent. Drake and Xena stopped in mid caress and kiss in Drake's case to look at each other in the dark. Before the owners of all the groans could leave, the lights were lit. Everyone including Xena and Drake were silent.

"Guess it was nothing," Drake said to Xena loud enough for anyone to hear outside before lowering his head again and pretending to continue to kiss her. There were cheers that neither of them missed and Drake exited the tent catching the on lookers.

"What the hell?" Drake asked noting they were the men he had enlisted in helping him to keep his promise.

"You were caving we had to do something, so long as you two are in that tent tonight we'll be watching."

"That's right your majesty," said another soldier. "No one likes a crowd." Xena came to the opening of the tent. Her shirt was undone revealing her cleavage.

"I for one don't mind a crowd."

"Yes, but I do." He walked over to her and kissed her lips one more time and hugged her. "Goodnight love." He walked off grateful he had enlisted the men to help him.

"Goodnight love," Xena replied before he was out of hearing. "Ugh." She went back into the tent and flopped down on the furs. She knew it was for the best, she would have broken her promise to keep him from breaking his promise at the rate they were going.

"No luck?" Ephiny asked coming into the tent. Xena shook her head.

"No, I didn't anticipate the safety net, he had created for himself."

"Ah I see, smart man."

"Who are you telling," Xena replied as Ephiny lay beside her. Xena had figured one of two things would happen that night. She would either make love to her husband or he would separate himself from her to resist temptation.

"Well what can it hurt to wait?" Ephiny asked.

"Nothing at all, I just want him its been more than a year."

"Not on purpose."

"Eve was four months the last time we made love need I remind you. And she's two now."

"I get your point." Xena nodded. Eventually Ephiny left to get some rest and she decided to try and get her own, tomorrow was a busy day after all. She changed into one of Drake's shirts, which were to big for her by war. However, she was awoken in the middle of the night to Drake returning. She had not really been a sleep in the first place, so she wasn't annoyed.

He took off his boots as quietly as possible and stripped down to his leather pants before joining Xena on the furs, she moved the blanket back before putting it on him and scooting closer to him. He put his arms around her as they kissed before she got comfortable on his warm chest. They both dropped off into a peaceful sleep for the night, well as peaceful as they were going to get under the circumstances.


	9. Fever

Fever

Xena rode her dragon in the air followed by the aerial regiments, which were carrying the larger instruments of war. That meant the catapults and so forth was being carried by their dragons. She had sent Argo back to Sultry when she saw her faithful mare was pregnant. That meant she could present Eve with her first pony in a year. She had told Eve as much when King Rodrigo had given Llyr a gelding that was still a foal. Now Eve was looking forward to Argo giving birth and had promised Xena to look after Argo. That meant her first two children were slightly more distracted. Melody was given a nearly endless supply of sweets she had to share at least once a week.

"Xena did you get another horse to replace Argo for the duration of the war?" Gabrielle asked.

"Yeah, a black mare, really gentle and good training. I think I might keep her on as a second horse." Gabrielle nodded.

"I miss Amber, but Torres told me she lived a good life. Died in battle."

"Oh I'm sorry." Gabrielle shook her head.

"It was better for her than falling to her death. Besides this beauty under me has served me just as well as Amber did, so far in our relationship."

"What's her name?"

"Tiphany." Xena nodded.

"Perfect." Xena rubbed her dragon, she turned a little purple under her touch a sign that she liked it so Xena continued.

"Is it safe with no saddle?" Gabrielle asked. Xena nodded.

"Elixir would never let me die, she'd catch me before I fell to my death. Dragons are very quick." Xena went over the plan again with the Amazons who doubled the airforce, and would be responsible leading attacks on soldiers from the air. Her and her generals would split up and lead more ground forces to surround the army from the west. Sultry soldiers were already waiting to attack their camps and catch anyone left behind as while a mixture of soldiers knowing their backs were protected got the others engaged in battle with Drake and the others. Glacial forces were coming from the east. Still more forces would wait in the air for any men Caesar and General Ving had hidden to keep him from getting the upper hand and unexpectedly escape. Xena ordered the other dragons down to deliver the weapons of war quickly seeing that Drake was already engaged in a small battle, a small group of sentries no doubt brought together and trying their best to escape. It was over quickly and the men were glad to have larger weapons to use on the Roman legions.

"Positions." Naturally he had seen her army marching for them and told his soldiers to prepare as they marched out to meet them. Drake wasted no time in leading the attacks. As part of the plan Drake appeared to be losing, but fortunately they were in a valley of hills. Drake was merely forcing them to fight up hill. It was a slight hill and there didn't seem to be a difference at first. Once Xena saw Caesar's gloating look through her spyglass, she signaled the others. All at once the gloating look was off his face and his smug grin diminished.

"Full spread!" Xena ordered. They all swooped down on the roman army leading a full spread of fireballs from the dragons. The soldiers as practiced protected themselves from the fireballs. The soldiers of Sultry had no need to protect themselves as they moved through the fire taking out roman soldiers unprepared for their sudden appearance as they jumped through fireballs. Some how they found an opening to retreat as their soldiers tired from the raging battle, so they let them go and held their position. The tents were brought up further, fresh guards were put on the front lines.

* * *

"At this rate you won't be able to exhaust me if you keep getting wounded," Xena teased before she kissed him. He had an arrow sticking out of his shoulder, but he was determined that only his wife heal him. The front of her shirt was covered in blood from helping the critically wounded, which needed immediate attention. There were lots of healers, but Xena was the expert among them by far.

"I assure you even if I were missing one leg and an arm I could and would." Xena grinned.

"I have no doubt that you could." She helped him get his armor off, she was just happy to see that he had made it through another battle, there was no telling when a warrior's skills would fail them and their time to die would be upon them. War was after all a gamble for everyone's lives.

"I knew I shouldn't have worn my favorite shirt," Drake cursed looking at the hole as Xena unlaced the front of his shirt.

"Its fine I can fix it." Drake chuckled. "Sometimes I forget you have many skills and that mending can be one of your specialties when it comes to your family and wounds." Xena chuckled.

"Just because I'm a warrior doesn't mean I didn't learn how to sew and embroider like any other girl."

"Yes well forgive me, I forget sometimes after those two years I lost you, I'm getting to know you again."

"Oh don't worry its going to take us years with all these interruptions before we know each other as much as we love each other. That being said one day you'll believe me when I say I have many skills." Xena took his shirt off.

"I do believe you."

"To some degree, but not completely, but you will." Xena kissed him and shoved her tongue in his mouth. He was a little surprised her boldness was coming through again and was about to stop her because he could feel his restraint teetering dangerously over the edge when pain shot through left shoulder. He broke the kiss to bite his lip. Drake took several deep breaths and tensed his body.

"Don't tense up try to stay as relaxed as possible," Xena instructed. He relaxed his body as she snapped the head off and pulled it out. She examined him before she left out and retrieved a hot poker from the fire, he was not pleased, but he gritted his teeth and let her do.

"No poison was there?"

"No, I checked, you should be fine." She wrapped his wound and delivered a kiss to it.

"Oh yes now I'm definitely going to heal now," Drake told her kissing her. This time Xena broke the kiss.

"You get some rest, I have to go help everyone else."

"I'll give you a hand the men need to see me up and about since it's not the worst of arrow wounds."

"All right, but you stick by me." He nodded and stood up after she put his arm in a sling. She made the usual rounds with him before she forced him to rest, so he would be fresh for the next battle. He was asleep before she could even give him any tea with a sleeping herb to make him go to sleep, but by no means kept him asleep. She gave it to someone else who needed it and gave him regular tea, which she left nearby for him to drink when he woke up.

"How many dead?" Gabrielle asked Xena as she washed her hands in the barrel of water.

" Arrow wounds were the worst, but death toll is at a record low, only a hundred men mostly volunteer farmers and merchants, second sons with little to no training from lower class families in the cities or rural areas of Arcadia, Sultry, and Glacial. The amazons their casualties?"

"Just one, lots of wounded, the Amazons are determined stay alive."

"Good, good I'm glad the casualties weren't great, I'll send someone to get her from Greece."

"Xena she's dead."

"No, none of the Amazons that were born in Greece can die here, they'll reappear back in Greece. You have to be here like ten years before you're completely transferred to this realm. You can leave and stuff, but the majority of your life must happen here, your fate must become intertwined with the people that were born here. Or if they've had children in this realm that would solidify the process by the time the child is born."

"Well she was young, she'll definitely be in Greece." Xena nodded. She sent a servant to retrieve the girl.

* * *

"Here drink this," Xena told him. Drake drank the tea as his fever raged. The second time he was hit with an arrow it had been poisonous. The first man had already died, but they were able to act quickly with the others. Anyone with even a minor scratch was given the antidote. Unfortunately depending on how much of the poison you received like Drake men and women a like was ridden with a serious fever.

"Xena!" Ephiny exclaimed running into her tent.

"What is it?"

"General Ving's on the move you're needed at the front." Xena nodded as the Amazon healer came in to stay with Drake. She kissed his burning forehead before grabbing her sword and running after Ephiny.

"Be careful of the poison, if you're hit you may not die now, but there's a good chance you'll die later with such a depletion of forces." They nodded. Xena looked around noting that now at least ninety percent of her active army was women. They marched out to meet General Ving and their shields protected them from the arrows as they chose to take as much of the regiment down with javelins and arrows of their own while they reloaded. Roman shields were no match for the superior metal and they went through, however some men just got lucky by inches, However it was forcing them to discard their shields early. When the onslaught of arrows finally stopped and they began to charge, they stood up dusting broken shafts off themselves and pulled out their swords. Xena signaled the dragons and Roman flesh could be smelled burning in the air before they all charged using the benefit of their shields to the foolish. Men were already fleeing in fear.

"Okay hold!" Xena ordered. For now the battle would be at a stand still, Caesar and Ving had lost as many men as were sick and they still had women who were waiting and ready to fight.


	10. General Ving

General Ving

"Hey how is he?" Xena asked the healer. Drake was resting and he had some color back in his cheeks now the war had been raging for quite sometime and they hadn't been able to air lift him back to Dragon City.

"I'm quite fine," Drake answered for the healer without opening his eyes. "I'll be fit for battle in another few days, the healer just filled me in earlier." Xena went over to him and sat down.

"You will not be heading into battle soon, your weak."

"I'm not weak," Drake told her trying to sound offended.

"Don't even try and sound offended you know I didn't mean it like that. Your still sick whether you like it or not and there's nothing you can do about it. Accept your battle wound, because you're heading back to Dragon City soon enough."

"No, I must fight in the war."

"Not if your chances of dying have increased, I say when to let you back in this war and its not soon."

"If I don't fight..."

"The people will not think less of you, the advantage to having a warrior for a wife is that a monarch will always be in battle lessening the chance of you dying." Drake sighed.

"I won't fight, but I am staying, compromise with me." Xena sighed.

"Fine, you help out around camp, I better not catch you near a battle field." Drake nodded as she kissed his forehead. She helped him walk around camp and visit all the men who had poisoned alongside him. All the men told him they would be ready to fight again in no time, but Xena told them they wouldn't be use unless things got desperate or they were deemed healed completely.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Gabrielle asked. The war was still raging after a year.

"Yes, we can't keep going like this, we've barely recovered from the last war from Ubel, I've called for a one on one fight between Caesar and I. Loser's army leaves peacefully, but I plan on slaughtering the lot of them if I win."

"Xena..."

"No, Gabrielle you and I both know this war won't be over, but we can at least get rid of one of two leaders. General Ving won't stop just because Caesar's dead, so we're taking the opportunity to slaughter part of their army." Gabrielle sighed and nodded.

"I know, Gods war is so Gods there's really no way to describe war when a place you love is truly being destroyed. I have to admit I'll never get over you, but I was actually thinking of trying to move on, have a family, in this place we all call home."

"I know Gabrielle, I wanted to spend more time with my children and finally know my husband again. I gotta be honest sometimes we feel like we don't know each other, because of all this separation. I don't even think I know Eve as well as I should anymore. I've missed so much time." Xena sighed as she picked up her sword.

"Put me in as your second." Xena nodded. Daphne and Emily walked in.

"You two are my third and fourth." They nodded dressed for battle. The other ladies waited outside along with the rest of her personal guard. Drake walked in. "Leave us please." They all left out.

"You shouldn't have to do this," Drake told her angry. He thought he should be taking the challenge, and not his wife, he didn't know if he could keep it together long enough to finish the war despite his children.

"I know, but there will always be war, we have to accept that. Besides this isn't one of those battles that will end the war, this just merely a chance for both sides to take out one leader and slaughter the remaining fighters on the field."

"It should be me."

"No," Xena told him as he pulled her into his arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck. "I'll be fine, but promise me something."

"Anything for you," Drake told her.

"Don't die, promise me that you will try your hardest to be the man you are now, well not right now, but you know what I mean. Eve, Melody, and Llyr need you as well as your people. Teach and guide them, and when Eve is old enough to take the throne than I release you from your promise and you can join me in whatever the afterlife is here." Drake sighed.

"Xena, I don't know if I have the strength to live without you."

"The strength you need is in the eyes of your daughters and son, Drake, if I die don't leave them like me. Think of them at all times, if you truly love me, you'll do what I'm asking for their sake. It would make me happy knowing that you would not purposely leave them." Drake sighed and nodded.

"Only if you make me the same promise."

"I do, I promise."

"I promise than too." He kissed her. Xena broke their kiss.

"Besides I'm too stubborn to die anyway remember." Drake nodded memorizing her face again. He kissed her forehead, and than her nose and watched the cute way she wrinkled her nose because it left a ticklish sensation. Before he kissed her lips again, they were interrupted by Gabrielle announcing it was time.

"I love you," They whispered to each other.

"Come back to me."

"Always," Xena told him as he kissed her hand before walking out with her. He lifted her onto her horse, it was more a display of love and that he was regaining his strength. Xena bent down before they were about to leave and whispered in his ear.

"Tell the children I love them."

"No, you'll tell them yourself." Xena squeezed his hand. They both knew there was always a chance, but she understood that he would only do that when she did die, but he made no promise to just accept she might die, he would hold tight to his hope. They rode off with a small army of women, men, and amazons. Xena's ladies rode on either side of her and Gabrielle in a V formation. Ephiny, Solari, and a wounded Eponin rode behind them. Behind all of them army marched. In these particular battles Caesar only brought a legion, Xena brought two. Plus the other three covering all the angles from which they could be attacked. Caesar had already put his men in place and a battle raged as they spoke between the legions.

"Xena, we meet again," Caesar spoke as they met in the middle with several guards around them.

"Caesar, still chasing destiny, I see."

"It is my destiny to conquer the world imagine my surprise when the Great General Ving came to me with this information and power beyond my wildest dreams."

"I'm sure."

"And it was even better knowing you couldn't stand in my way for awhile, but here you are now, and your standing in the way of me gaining yet another kingdom to be conquered."

"You won't ruin my second home." He laughed.

"You're no match for me, you can't win."

"The old me couldn't win, before I was driven by my hate for you, but now I fight for my people and my children, so that they can live long healthy lives. We will never stop fighting, until you are driven out of our world." Cheers went up from behind her, letting Caesar know that until they took their last breath they would all be a threat.

"Say what you will Xena, but nothing will stop me from achieving my destiny, not even you."

"You're a fool if you think Ving will let you rule supreme. He'll kill you Caesar and you'll never see it coming."

"Ving takes orders from me, he doesn't give them."

"Whatever you say, now I believe we have a fight to proceed with, one on one, Gabrielle will be my second."

"Lieutenant, you're my second," Caesar told him getting off his horse. Xena got down as well. Daphne took Xena's horse and the back up leaving her and Gabrielle standing in the middle with Caesar and his Lieutenant. Gabrielle took a step back as did the lieutenant as they began to circle each other. Caesar attacked and the sound of their swords filled the air ringing back to both camps. The fight raged for hours with neither of them making any headway. Eventually their swords shattered on impact with each other.

"You broke her sword," Ares stated in disbelief. Hercules also looked on shocked. At Drake's request they went back to watch over Xena having been defending the land elsewhere for awhile. Xena dropped the handle of her sword and swung hitting him in the jaw with a nice left hook that Hercules admired. Cheers went up as the skies darkened threatening a storm as if it were angry that a war still raged beneath it. Xena was finally gaining the upper hand when General Ving appeared.

"Xena I think I have something you want." Xena's heart nearly stopped at the sight of general Ving holding a struggling Eve.

"How did you get into Sultry?" Xena demanded to know after kicking Caesar in the throat and walking away as he caught his breath and fault to his feet. General Ving laughed.

"I have my ways of getting any where undetected. Imagine my surprise finding the crown princess had escaped her guard." He laughed again. "Well she's mine now and you'll have to find us if you ever want to see your precious daughter again." He disappeared just as her soldiers reached his position. Xena screamed with rage and turned running Caesar through, but she didn't kill him.

"Where did that bastard take my daughter?" She pushed him off her sword and he fell to the ground defeated and he knew it.

"I'll never tell you anything, you bitch." He slit his own throat with a dagger. Xena was turning red as she began to smoke until her entire body was on fire before turning to ice and than purple and back to fire again. Her eyes glowed and she looked at the Roman soldiers. She opened her mouth to speak and to everyone's surprise a bright light showed up just as Drake rode onto the scene with her grandmother who had noticed Eve's disappearance. They watch as all the Roman soldiers screamed only to find themselves wearing chains Their eyes glowed purple. They took a knee bowing to her. She didn't say anything as they all turned and marched back to camp.

"Double the guard on Llyr and Melody now!" Her voiced boomed and men and women from Sultry hurried to do her bidding.

"What's going on with her?" Ares asked. He had never seen Xena like this.

"She's done the impossible and tapped into her full powers before being crowned in a ceremony," The Queen told her. "She is a Queen."

"Okay, but is she going to be normal again?" Hercules asked curiously.

"Yes, when she gets her daughter back," She told them. Xena turned to Drake and he nodded as he got off his horse and as he walked to her he began to glow green. His hair was red showing that he was very angry. Soon he looked just as abnormal as Xena.

"Xena what now?" Ephiny asked.

"We march on Greece just like he wants," Xena told her creating a portal. "Its time he found out what he's up against. Power up." Everyone nodded. The Amazons watched, not all of them had powers and the ones who did, didn't know if they could achieve the height of power that the others did.

"If you don't have powers, I don't recommend coming, but protecting the home front. And if you do have powers Lady Agnes will show you how to achieve what we have if only for a little while if you must fight. But that's only if you had your powers for over a month." They nodded. "Let's move." Xena mounted her horse and went through the portal followed by Drake.


	11. Marc Anthony

Marc Anthony

When they all came through the portal they had arrived in Rome. They immediately began forming their ranks more tightly as they marched towards Rome where she knew her daughter lay. The roman soldiers who had been in Sultry marched in front they would be the first to die in what would be a bloody battle. They all stopped in front of Rome, they were already closing the city off and there was a vast army in front. Even if they fought there would still be at least a month before a siege brought it down, but than what was normal about this battle. Catapults appeared from their own portals led by some of those who could not power up. Xena signaled to them and everyone began to take a knee. Their shields resting in front of them, but still on their arms.

"That's right bow to me!" They heard General Ving yell as horses disappeared. They didn't need them here at the moment. Xena would have smirked, but he had her daughter, her baby. Drake pointed and the archers pointed their arrows towards the air. Drake pointed to the Romans left flank, than the middle, and than the right. Xena controlled the Romans as they followed Drake's orders. They watched as Drake signaled them to release the arrows. The arrows flew over their heads either on fire or Ice or glowing in someone's magic. They tried to use their shields, but some ended up frozen to death others ended up burning and others lost shields or crucial pieces of arms if they were pierced in the heart, neck, or arms without the protection their shields could no longer offer them. They began to scatter like frightened ants when someone disturbs the anthill.

"Again!" Xena ordered. They shot again as the Roman soldiers under her control began to move forward. Drake stopped them after the fourth volley of arrows. The archers became obscure again as the remaining soldiers began to attack their fellow Romans. Xena controlled each one they were free to use their own skills, but they could not run or stop fighting. It got to the point where there were so who were so scared in a fight and not being able to run they fainted and were killed by either another Roman she had ordered or the ones fighting for General Ving. They all stood as the Romans under General Ving's orders began to press forward.

"Kill them all!" Drake yelled.

"And crucify all survivors!" Xena yelled. They all ran forward and the two armies clashed hard. Xena slit throats left and right turning her chakram to ice or fire and throwing it. Men fell under its sharp blade. They retreated into Rome as archers appeared on the walls and the entire army except the Roman soldiers under her control left standing. They made their own shields. Some survived and others did not.

"Orders?" Gabrielle asked.

"Crucify all those living and stick their heads on pikes," Drake told her as he stared in the distance to where he knew Eve was crying. Xena angrily ran a roman soldier through as soldiers watched. They dragged the women out of arrow range and soon there was a long line of Roman soldiers nailed to crosses if they were wounded or knocked out. If they were dead their heads were cut off and spikes appeared. Xena smirked as she watched Brutus and Marc Anthony watching. They were Caesar's generals. She turned.

"Break their legs!" Xena yelled. Than more quietly she said. "Its time these bastards experience what they've been doing to other people." She turned back to Brutus and Marc Anthony. "You're both next!" They both walked off as the screams of the Roman soldiers filled the air.

"Xena I think its fair to ask you're not going to begin pillaging are you?" Xena looked at Gabrielle.

"No, is some in this army hurting innocent people?" Xena asked uncrossing her arms and her angering focusing on a possible new target. Gabrielle held up her hands.

"No, no we were kind of worried you would." Xena shook her head.

"No, when we enter Rome the people will be spared unless they see fit to attack at that point its out of my hands they have made their decision to fight against us."

"And when you get Eve back than what?"

"We leave a ruined Rome and go home. I have no intention of returning for no more than a vacation." Gabrielle nodded.

"Well than I am here for you." Xena smiled and hugged her. They went back to the tents.

"My Queen," a group of soldiers greeted. They held their swords threatening chained up Roman soldiers.

"Why are these men still alive?" Xena asked angrily.

"Forgive us but they were much to young to be in a battle like this." Xena walked forward as a torch was brought closer to them and she looked at all their faces. They were very lucky that the man or woman they had come up against had spared their lives for their youth.

"You're very lucky," Xena told them seeing that they were a little beat up, but not wounded anymore than they would be in a sparring match.

"Bow you dogs, you're standing before a Queen!" They pushed and kicked until they bowed to her.

"Take away their armor and chain them up with guard, we'll decide more thoroughly what to do with them when I've got my daughter and the city is burning." They nodded. Xena was walking towards her tent when one spoke.

"I will die for Rome!" He yelled. Xena stopped walking and turned around with her arms crossed. She looked him up and down.

"Yes, well you just might," Xena told him before turning back around and walking to her tent. She entered it to see Drake pouring over a map of Rome.

"I'm going to go put some of the Amazons on watch." Xena nodded.

"Goodnight."

"Night, and don't worry Xena, we're going to get her back, okay?"

"Okay." Xena hugged her before Gabrielle walked off calling an Amazon towards her.

"There are aqueducts under the city." Drake didn't even have to look up to know it was gorgeous wife talking to him. Like him she had finally powered down for the moment, but the power would surge again.

"They're not on the map."

"They never are," Xena told him watching him. The candlelight gave him such a glow as he flexed a bit while stretching. She couldn't believe at a time like this she was lusting after her husband. Or rather she was more surprised that she was even thinking about it. She berated herself and reminded her that General Ving would and could slit Eve's throat at any moment. Vomit rose in her throat, the idea disgusted her and pained her in her heart as she swallowed forcing it back down.

"Yes, this is true, but do you know where the entrances are?"

"No, not exactly, but not hard to find just find the fresh water sources." Xena nibbled on some fruit. Drake nodded. "Tomorrow we use the catapults. Their walls are made from bricks and such so a few well placed rocks could coax it into crumpling.

"Maybe we ought to start hurling dead cow carcasses soon," Drake suggested. Xena shook her head.

"That'll only spread disease and who knows how long this seize could take, nothing is ever certain where Rome is concerned." He motioned for her to give him a bite. She moved the fruit to his lips and he took a bite.

"Thank you, and you're right, we could risk Eve catching something that wasn't meant for her and I won't be responsible for my own daughter's death."

"In a way we already are," Xena whispered.

"Don't say that, she's not dead and she won't be dead, we'll be marching into Rome by tomorrow even If I have to exhaust myself with crumbling that city with my power alone." Xena looked at him no longer sad, but as if he was a genius and he was.

"That's it!" She looked at him as if he already got it, but Drake was no longer in tune to where her mind had sped off so quickly.

"We can't do the that's a great idea dance if you don't tell me where you're at." Xena shook her head as if she just realized he was there.

"You, you're a genius, you could use your power to crumble the city."

"Yes, but I should only use such a massive amount of power when we need it. It'll take weeks to recover from something like that."

"Yes, if you do it by yourself."

"Oh no, you're not doing it, if I do it that's one thing, but you can't. If you do that to yourself you'll never rest and never recover than what will we do?" Drake asked her referring to himself and their children.

"No, no not the two of us all of us."

"All of us?" Drake asked. Xena nodded.

"The entire army, together we could crumble that city brick by brick, stone by stone until it is rubble around them, and little more than pebbles to be skipped across the water."

"But we could kill people."

"A little message from the Gods might compel them to leave their homes. A little false hope that the Gods will protect them might be a good thing." Drake stared at her thinking.

"I'm so glad I'm married to you and we're not enemies." Xena grinned at him as he kissed her. If Xena had her way she would have finally been released from her stupid curse, Ubel's mother had cast upon her, but they were in a middle of a war to save her daughter and distractions could not and would not be afforded so they separated themselves immediately.

"Tomorrow we bring Rome down," Xena told Gabrielle when she entered the tent.

"What's the plan?" Ephiny asked sitting up. Xena waved her hand for the Queens of the Amazons to gather around her.

"As it is to crumble an entire city takes a lot of energy and concentration. As easy as it would be to use you all we cannot for General Ving will surely send out soldiers to break our concentration."

"Every odd number take up arms for you will defend us against the soldiers and when the city crumbles we will march to victory with you on the Romans and reclaim our princess!" They all cheered. Xena turned and looked at Rome, the soldiers on the walls, who were gulping as if they knew that soon they too would be crucified especially General Ving.

"March on Rome and wait do not bother attacking the walls, they hide behind." They nodded to her and saluted her. They marched forward closing ranks and kneeled to watch the walls crumble always ready to attack at a moments notice just out of range of the arrows.

"Now what?" Gabrielle asked Drake.

"We power up and open your minds to us," Drake responded as He and Xena began to glow. They closed their eyes as did everyone else and Gabrielle followed suit.

"Picture Rome in your mind," Xena told them all. One by one she felt them all concentrating on Rome. "Now concentrate your power and I want you to picture it falling apart grain by grain." No one moved as stared ahead of them seemingly seeing nothing.

* * *

The soldiers on the walls were the first to be aware of the changes in the wall as one soldier found his foot in a pit of sand.

"Hey what the hell is going on around here?" Marc Anthony asked.

"I dunno its like the wall is turning to sand," said a soldier as a chunk of wall turned to sand and covered his foot. Marc Anthony took out a spyglass and looked out. He saw the soldiers waiting for an attack he expected them, but that was only half the army. He looked behind them and saw the glowing mass.

"Its them, the witches." He heard the gates opened and saw the enemy's forces watching the gates closely. They were sending men to the slaughter and possibly even their fellow Romans who were being controlled. "She's going to bring down Rome, she's going to bring down this empire for that child." He hurried to the stairs trying to be careful of patches of sand, but he tripped once, He finally made it, but the stairs crumbled under each of his steps. Marc Anthony was relieved to make it to the bottom safely. He ran over to Brutus.

"What are you doing, you're sending these men to slaughter we cannot attack yet."

"We can if we want to live, now I'm in charge now that Caesar is dead not you," Brutus told him.

"I'd be careful Brutus, Caesar isn't dead, you heard what Ving said, he can't die in their world. He has to die here," Marc Anthony reminded him. Brutus smirked.

"Caesar is weak and he seeks things that Rome does not. If he comes back here he will die. Get out of my face Anthony." Marc Anthony glared at him. If Brutus ruled Rome all would be lost and even worst under General Ving. It was up to him to return Rome to its former glory, but first he had to get their enemy away from Rome and make a deal with them. He hurried to Caesar's palace. He knew exactly what he had to do to save Rome and its people.

* * *

"Xena!" Xena ignored Brutus and continued to focus. "You will not defeat Rome!" He growled at the fact she was ignoring him. "Once I have taken care of your soldiers I will personally nail your daughter to the cross for what you have done to my soldiers!" Xena powered down and was now staring directly at Brutus he had most definitely earned her attention and he knew it.

"Slaughter the lot of them," Xena ordered and her soldiers stood and attacked the Roman soldiers faster than they could react most of the time. Solari engaged Brutus in battle as Xena quickly hurried to her side. They fault and just as it looked like Solari would get the other hand and cut him down he stabbed her in the side. Xena back flipped and landed next to her. She touched her wound as Brutus retreated.

"I tried," Solari told her, but Xena put her hand to her wound.

"Save you strength, you'll need it to recover, its not deadly or poisonous." Solari nodded as two Amazons ran to her side to protect her as Xena handed her, her sword. Xena stood up and spotted Brutus running back to safety. She took out her sword and ran a Roman soldier through before she back flipped letting her infamous war cry, which put fear in his heart. She landed right in front of him, rotating her sword threateningly, and he held his sword up at the ready.

"You will not defeat me Xena, I'd run while you can." Xena gave him a feline grin making him gulp, it was clear she had nothing, but the worst intentions for him.

"Oh don't worry Brutus, I'm not going to wound you that would be too nice of me, considering the payback I owe you. You see you're much more devious than I previously thought and I'm sure Caesar will be happy to be rid of you. I have no doubt that since I am going to dispose of you first that Marc Anthony will let him know of your treachery if only to make himself seem more trustworthy."

"Maybe, so, but you're not going to kill me Xena, I am going to walk back into Rome right now, and if Caesar returns I will kill him and Marc Anthony won't be living much longer either."

"Oh believe me he will, I'm pretty sure he wasn't bonded to my world yet. You can bet on it he will return to find Rome no more than a pile of sand."

"Maybe you will turn it to sand, but I'll prevail in the end, and I will march on your world once you're out of the way. I will do what Caesar could not."

"If by some miracle you managed to defeat us, you'll find that you won't get very far, there are many more where we came from. You don't have the power." A surge of soldiers came at them both, but she knew they were all coming for her.

"Next time you're mine and I won't waste time with talk." Xena spun in the air jumping on their heads she just barely missed being hit by archers. She ordered a retreat, as they were weaker without all their numbers. They grabbed as many wounded as they could, but some were left to the Roman's mercy. While some were lucky enough to be taken to the stadium where they would surely be gladiators, others were killed and their bodies hung from the loose walls of Rome by the neck on chains. Thankfully they were already dead.

"This means absolutely no mercy," Artemis cried looking at her beloved Amazons.

"Mercy has already fled Artemis, this means we're going to be down right ruthless. Its time we brought out the wheel." There was a collective gasp from those who knew Xena's past. Xena sent them to build the wheels.

"Is this correct my Queen?" Xena nodded.

"In the center add a thick sharp stake. I want it to make them arch their backs so they can't relax against it, so that when someone spends it they're forced to lay straight driving it through them." They nodded knowing they would essentially kill themselves.

"How are you feeling?" Hercules asked her as she ate lunch as they were preparing for yet another attack.

"Not so good, I haven't felt this much rage in a long time." Hercules nodded.

"I understand, he's holding your daughter hostage, I have my anger too." Xena nodded.

"So you're not here to tell me not to build the wheel and to stop crucifying the soldiers?"

"Its not what I would do no, but this is war, and with a guy like Ving in charge we can't afford to be merciful to all. The people will survive, and soldiers that are too young will live and perhaps prioritize their lives a little better."

"One of them will rise to power amid such chaos," Xena replied. Hercules nodded.

"This is true." He held his head down. "Look I've got the men and women I need Ares and I can go through the aquaducts at nightfall if you don't bring the walls down." Xena nodded.

"We won't even with so many it takes time to grind the materials to sand. We're only going the extra mile for the innocent behind those walls." Hercules nodded. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"You will get Eve back, you have protected her from the moment she was born, she is not going anywhere." Xena nodded.

"I know, I have complete faith that she is terrorizing General Ving right now and actually enjoying her time as a hostage." They both chuckled.

"That's our Eve." Xena nodded. No one ever thought of Eve as a scared little girl, she would always be the one giving her captors a run for her money. And Xena knew that on the outside that maybe true, she was so much like her sometimes always hiding her fear except to Drake, Gabrielle, and herself. Xena thought they were perhaps the only three people to see her cry out of fear.

"Xena!" Drake called. He motioned for her to come to him and she stood and followed after a nod to Hercules, who nodded back and went in search of his brother.

* * *

"Do not worry Anthony even I can see Brutus is Treacherous, when Caesar returns he'll be disposed of soon enough."

"Yes, maybe so but Brutus is Caesar's best friend, we'll have hard time proving it."

"Do not worry, I have my proof." Marc Anthony nodded.

"If I may ask where is the child you stole?"

"Ah her, she is enjoying Roman life at this very moment, I find that children who are hostage are better kept in luxury rather than squalor or else they become more of a pain. Best thing about her age is I don't need to keep her under heavy guard." He laughed and Marc Anthony laughed too before he departed. He walked asking a slave where the child was located.

"Sir!" The Roman soldier saluted him.

"You are relieved soldier."

"But sir the General…"

"Yes, I am the General, you are relieved and you never saw me." The soldier looked at him and nodded before saluting him and leaving. Marc Anthony opened the doors and found Eve being fed dinner by two slaves and dressed in Roman finery. He also noticed that cold blue eyes locked with his own eyes the moment he had walked into the room. It sent a chill down his spine to meet a child with such eyes. He had seen those same cold eyes on her mother as she had watched them. He may not have had the up close view that he had to Eve's, but he had felt it. "Leave us." The slaves didn't ask questions as they stood up and left out. Eve stood up as well watching him. He noted she couldn't have been more than three maybe four years old and already she had her mother's beauty.

Eve watched him closely as he shut the door and walked closer to her. He noted she was unmoving. He had never had anyone watch his every movement so closely as if calculating every angle, he could attack from.

"Can you understand me?" He asked her. Who knew what language she spoke certainly something he had never heard before.

"Yes," Eve answered perfectly. "You're the enemy." Marc Anthony nodded.

"Yes, but I do not want to be. It is not my vision for Rome."

"I want my mommy." He nodded again.

"I know, I have come to take you too her, I was hoping we could come to an understanding that you wouldn't give me too much trouble in smuggling you out of the palace." Eve squatted, but it appeared as if she sat. She tilted her head to the side scrutinizing him some more for deception.

"You have more."

"What?" Eve sighed and repeated herself. " I don't understand your meaning not what you are saying." Eve looked more puzzled. "What does I you have more mean?"

"Help self not Eve." Marc Anthony understood.

"Aren't you a smart little girl, yes I have other intentions but not bad, not to you or your mommy."

"No believe you."

"I swear it to you on Rome and my honor that I wish to be diplomatic, I want Rome to fall for now, but only so that I may take control and establish good relations with your parents."

"Mommy kill you." Marc Anthony nodded.

"Yes, I suppose she has every intention too I am the enemy, but you can stop her."

"Why should I?" Eve asked him.

"Because war is not always a good thing young one, have you not seen what it does to people." Eve nodded remembering the orphans and famine. They had, had to leave their home and go to another one. And as the stories went it wasn't the first time. "Will you help me if I take you back to your mommy?" Eve watched him.

"I help, you swear to protect Eve at all costs." Marc Anthony nodded.

"I swear to protect you at all costs while you're in my care." Eve nodded and raised her arms. Marc Anthony walked over and lifted her up. He wrapped her in a blanket and carried her under his arm as if she were not a child. Eve did not make a sound watching the floor as they went. Marc Anthony being a General easily avoided any mishaps because he did not run into General Ving. However he ran into lots of places where his foot went to the floor. He had to get to them before they completely ruined Rome.

"Anthony!" Marc Anthony stopped as Brutus called to him. He sighed and suddenly felt the weight of the blanket lighter and the sound of a snake. He turned.

"What is it Brutus I'm busy."

"What's that you have there?" Brutus asked looking at him. Marc Anthony looked back at him.

"Its just a blanket, am I not allowed to carry a blanket any longer?" Marc Anthony asked.

"No, that's a slave's job."

"Well if I wanted to use a slave I'd have grabbed them by the hair and ordered them to carry it." Brutus snatched the blanket from him and unrolled it, if he hadn't dropped it in time he would have gotten bitten by an Egyptian Cobra.

"Ah!" He moved back.

"Why was there a cobra in there?" Brutus asked.

"I guess someone was trying assassinate me," Marc Anthony told him. "Too bad they failed." He grabbed the snake from behind and it wrapped itself around his arm, but not too tightly. "I'll go dispose of it." He picked up the blanket and continued on his way. "You're a very talented little girl stay in your form." Eve didn't move and he took it as her understanding him. He made it out of the palace and to an aquaduct entrance in the cover of night. He jumped down into the water. For the moment it was only calf deep, that would change from time to time. He walked off towards the exit quickly. It felt like it took all night, but when he finally entered the night air it was only the middle of the night with the moon directly over head. The sound of metal clashing on metal could be heard. So the battle was still raging they would be missing him yes, but this was for the best.

"All right young one change back." Eve changed back. He nearly dropped her from the weight change, but he caught her and put the blanket around her. Eve looked around and than pointed in the direction of Xena and Drake's camp. Marc Anthony went as quickly as possible and made it a point to be caught.

"Who goes there!" The Amazon asked.

"It is I Marc Anthony, I've come to speak with your King."

"I don't have a King, I have a Queen." He squinted in the dark.

"Are you not a soldier fighting the Romans."

"Yes, but I am an Amazon." Marc Anthony suddenly understood.

"My apologies, but I must see the King who commands the others than."

"Why?" She asked as he heard more than saw someone else running off.

"I have come to return the child to her parents." The Amazon gasped.

"Eve?"

"Yes?" Eve answered sleepily with a yawn.

"Put her down on the ground and step back, you will have your audience that is for sure." He put Eve down on the ground. "Now your weapons and armor now hurry." He did so as others appeared. He could hear them whispering and he saw one approach for Eve than back away watching him closely.

"Don't hurt," Eve told them. "I want my mommy." The amazon who had picked her up looked her over before leaving with her as the others converged on him.

Meanwhile a retreat for the night had been called on both sides. The walls now had holes in them and the soldiers numbers had waned to that of over a thousand. Brutus knew they would have to pull off a large attack and not with tired soldiers. Xena knew what was coming and wanted her soldiers rested up too. As they entered the camps she realized there was a stillness.

"My Queen, my King we were just coming for you," Emily told her looking happy.

"Why are you so happy we're at war?" Drake asked.

"You must come see for yourself." She ran off and they hurried after her. Gabrielle, Ephiny, and Eponin following closely behind. They entered their tent to find the Amazon still holding Eve. She hadn't let her out of her sight for even a moment.

"Eve!" They all exclaimed. Xena had her in her arms immediately and was kissing her and checking her over for any injury even a scratch. She looked very well taken care of. Drake also showered her with hugs and kisses as he did so Xena turned to Emily and the Amazon.

"How did she get here?" Xena asked. "Who brought her, General Ving wouldn't just let her go."

"Marc Anthony I believe he called himself." The room fell silent. Xena turned and looked Eve in the eyes deeply afraid that it really wasn't her daughter she was relieved to find it was. She let Eve's face go and allowed her to look away.

"Where is he?"

"We have him bound in chains. Eve told us not to hurt him." Xena looked at Eve.

"You made some kind of deal?" Eve watched her for a moment as her mind processed what her mother was asking her. She reached for her again and Xena took her.

"He want more."

"He has an agenda for helping you than?" Xena asked. Drake was completely lost, but knew Eve and Xena understood one another perfectly even if the words were not clear to others.

"Rule Rome," Eve told her. Xena nodded.

"Bring him in," Xena ordered. The amazon nodded and left as they all moved in creating more room. Marc Anthony would be surrounded.

"He wants to rule Rome?" Drake asked.

"Not his vision," Eve told them. Xena nodded.

"He's told her that this is not his vision for Rome, he wants to rule but he can't do that with Caesar on the return, Brutus, and General Ving. He knows we'll have to defeat General Ving if not Caesar. He'll expose or murder Brutus, and finally Caesar though I imagine a plan for him was already in the works." They all nodded as Marc Anthony was pushed in. He fell to his knees. He looked at Eve.

"I have for filled my promise, now you yours."

"Mommy no kill him," Eve told her. Xena nodded.

"You are very smart to hide behind our daughter," Drake told him.

"I thought it was a good idea too thanks." There was a snicker that was quickly silenced.

"Well let's have it your full agenda, you just gave away Rome's bargaining chip."

"Yes, yes I have, but that's not my Rome, all I ask is you spare my life and destroy Brutus and General Ving. Caesar is easily handled without them around should he return. I enjoy conquest as much as the next, but Caesar's decisions have not made us prosper as well as we should. It is time for a new Era, mine."

"Lucky for you, I have a debt to pay to Brutus for crucifying Gabrielle and myself, but you, you have put yourself in a position for where we owe you by giving us back our daughter."

"So we will spare your life so that you can come to power," Drake told him. "However after this is over we will not hesitate to take your life should you ever give us reason." He nodded.

"Understood, I only wish to create peaceful relations between our worlds once again." They nodded as he was released from his chains, but the shackles remained on his hands.

"Forgive us if we do not trust you to sleep without chaining you a little. One never knows how elaborate the enemy's plan will be." Marc Anthony nodded.

"As long as you're not killing me, I don't see a problem."

"Good." They took him away.

"Well that was interesting," Gabrielle said.

"Very, but at least now we have Eve, tomorrow Rome falls whether they want it too or not," Xena told them kissing Eve's forehead.


	12. Fall of Rome

Fall of Rome

"Be safe," Xena told them as she kissed Eve's head one more time before sending them on their way that night. She slept almost peacefully that night after ordering Hercules and Ares to move into the city through the aqueducts and to take more men and women. Quietly and using a little energy they all worked the every building until it was no more than sand, a small group of them compacted it together in the early morning hours some had worked all night and now others joined them. When it counted the city would become sand.

"Now," Xena told most of their forces as they all began to create tremors as they glowed brightly. The bodies of the dead Amazons began to slide down as the group keeping the sand together allowed it too. A flash of light filled the air. In that instance Marc Anthony found himself back inside of Rome in full armor and weapons.

"She's gone!" Marc Anthony raised the alarm himself. Brutus and General Ving were furious.

"How did they get in!" General Ving thundered. "You said this place was imprenatrable."

"It is!" Brutus yelled.

"From the outside you idiot, one of the slaves or someone must have betrayed us, or maybe it was you to save your own skin," Marc Anthony growled. General Ving turned to look at Brutus.

"Of course it had to be you, you're a coward in the lowest sense."

"I did not give her to Xena, I would never do that she stands in the way of my success." General Ving looked at him not believing him for a second.

"So you say, lead the army in the large scale attack on them, they're vulnerable at the moment, QUICKLY!" Brutus practically jumped as he plotted General Ving's death in his mind. He would kill him right along with M arc Anthony who he suspected was not so innocent.

* * *

"Here they come," Xena said as light flashed from them creating another tremor. "Keep it up." She stood and walked out apparently alone to meet the Roman army who were losing their footing with every tremor. They couldn't see behind her the glow was so bright.

"Come to meet us alone have you, well we'll make this a swift death," Brutus told her from a top his horse. She grinned at him.

"Brutus, Brutus it's like everything I do right you seem to do wrong in my absence." The Roman army, Brutus, and Xena turned to look at Caesar. "Yes, that's right I'm back, took me awhile, but I am here."

"Now, damn it you were supposed to find your way back after I had crucified him."

"Well I was never one to come when others wanted me too."

"Uh huh yes, I see that." Before Caesar could react Xena's Chakram was out of her hand and cutting through his neck. "That was years coming." Her chakram turned in the air and came back to her and she caught it. It was dripping with Caesar's blood.

"Well that saves me a lot of time, now I just have to deal with you."

"I didn't do it for you." She threw her chakram and Brutus quickly raised his shield up bouncing it off and instead it sliced off the top of spears in the front line before sinking into a soldier's neck. They threw down their now useless spears.

"You know Xena if you move now, maybe I'll spare your life and let you live out the rest of your days as my whore." He laughed. "And your daughter will be a whore to my future heirs." Xena cracked her as her eyes began to glow once again as they had after the first battle with Caesar.

"I don't think so." Her entire body began to glow and the ground began to tremble tenfold sending all of the horses rearing.

"What are you doing get her!" They scrambled to attack her but light shot from her eyes engulfing everyone except Brutus. When the light cleared they were all under her control and turned towards Rome. "Kill General Ving!"

"What are you doing attack her!" Brutus yelled. They didn't listen as they marched on Rome. Xena pulled her chakram from the neck of the soldier.

"Now it's you and me Brutus, just you and me."

"Marc Anthony will mow those mindless drones and you'll be surrounded again." Xena laughed.

"If you think Marc Anthony will help you, you're greatly mistaken. So come here Brutus I promise not to be gentle."

* * *

"There's the signal," Ares told Hercules who nodded as the powerful tremor ran through the earth. They climbed up through the aqueducts and began taking out any soldier insight working their way to the Palace. If they came into contact with Marc Anthony they made him out to be a hero protecting the people of Rome from there. As if they had any intention of hurting them. However the city was now pouring sand and coming down as the once loyal soldiers to Rome marched for the pile of sand that was the palace. General Ving stood on the pile pissed off.

"You will all die!" He yelled as they came together in a Phalanx, the controlled Roman soldiers joining them. The soldiers still exercising free will came together in formation, but they had no chance again the Phalanx and they knew it. Some immediately ran claiming to protect the people who were in no danger. Marc Anthony back the people up telling them to pray for the end of General Ving for if he won nothing good could come from his victory.

"But Caesar killed the Gods."

"No, look Mars marches at the head of the formation," Marc Anthony pointed.

"Praise the Gods, the God of War is behind the other army and fighting beside them. May the Gods have mercy on the rest of us." There was a loud crash as the Roman army rammed Xena and Drake's army. But they were useless in trying to move soldiers in a phalanx. They separated and they pulled out their spears to attack them from under on the first row, and above from the second row.

"Get him," Hercules told Ares who nodded and flipped over the last of the Roman soldiers running for Ving. The first row closed ranks quickly and easily not losing any strength.

"Its time you and I settled a score," Ares growled and struck General Ving's sword bloodlust coursing through his veins again. It was still as intoxicating as ever. The sound of their swords clashing rang through what was even still left standing of the city.

* * *

"Come on, that phalanx can hold, but they'll figure out to make a wide arc and surround them soon. They're still a little outnumbered," Drake told them. He marched the part of the army that wasn't utterly drained into Rome passing Xena who was engaged in a battle with Brutus, she had a debt to settle with him. And he had to settle a debt with Ving who had killed his father.

* * *

"Ha, ha Brutus, haven't you been up late practicing," Xena laughed as she rotated her sword, she was like a cat with a ball or yarn now that her baby was safe. Brutus watched her breathing hard angrily.

"Keep laughing Xena but soon my army will destroy yours and you'll be hung from a cross, and I will personally cut of your head to make sure you stay dead this time." Xena grinned.

"Go ahead and try Brutus, you've always been welcome to try, but I think pretty soon your chances will run out."

"You won't so cocky when the Roman army surrounds you." Xena laughed and stood up straight. She pointed her sword.

"You mean that patrol?" He looked to see his army defeated most in magical shackles and the ones with free will were either dead or any more shackles as Drake now engaged General Ving in battle with Ares backing him up as the others cheered. "Your soldiers are under my control and if they aren't, they're either dead or shackled. You've lost" She used the end of her hilt to bust him in the head and finally secure him in magical shackles. He would be crucified.

* * *

"Ha, ha you're as worthless as your pathetic father," General Ving laughed. Drake growled but kept his anger in check before he lost focus.

"You will pay for the death of my father."

"I have nothing to pay for, I only gain, and I will gain your life." General Ving did a few combinations and Drake in his weakened state couldn't keep up. General Ving knocked him back into Ares and was poised to kill. Xena just barely made it in time to stop him with her sword, but he was quick, she didn't see the dagger that now lodged itself between two ribs in a lung. She used her foot to shoved him back before she dropped her sword and fell backwards sliding in the sand as beautiful blue eyes rolled into the back of her head.

"XENA!"

* * *

Author's Note: Yes I know, short and a clip hanger, I should kick myself, but I actually won't make you wait too long for the next chapter and its much longer in fact it took me awhile to post this little bit I wrote earlier today cause I was working on the next chapter and didn't want to stop the flow while I was in the zone hehe. So remember not long now before the next, won't be months of waiting.


	13. Fiona's Secret

Fiona's Secret

It was hard to tell who had yelled as several people rushed to her in what felt like slow motion. Dust from the sand was kicked up and even onto her as Drake tried to get her to open her eyes, but she had passed out.

"Xena, no, no wake up, don't do this, no," Drake told her.

"Xena, wake up," Gabrielle cried. "You promised Eve, you promised her." Hercules was practically pulling his hair out along with Ares as he checked for a pulse and her wound.

"My Queen!" The cries came.

"She's still breathing!" Hercules yelled. "She's still breathing!"

"We have to get her to a hospital!" Drake cried. Several people came over to carry her back home immediately.

"Get that prisoner!" Emily yelled with tears in her eyes pointing to an unconscious Brutus. She spotted General Ving running out of the corner of her eye. "Drake, Ving he's getting away, don't let this be in vain we have to get him or we'll never have peace." Drake just barely took his attention off Xena at the mention of the men who had possibly taken her life, the same man who had taken the life of his father. Rage bubbled in him. He practically blew the people standing near him off their feet as he powered up. He ran after him, General Ving tried to powerful, but he had really given too much to Caesar and been away from his homeland for too long in Greece. He was no match for Drake as a green sword appeared in his hand. He was forced to fight him.

"May you are better than your bastard father." General Ving laughed. "Bet you didn't know that, your father was the bastard son of his own father, the tenth born, He was the only one with his father's blood to take the throne after plague ravaged the royal family."

"I know all about my father, and I don't care," Drake growled letting him know he couldn't get into his head.

"And did you know that you're not the first born son of your own father?" Drake froze in shock every lie has at least a kernel of truth to it. General Ving taking advantage of his distraction kicked him breaking several ribs, but Drake was pushed back into the present and he remembered his wife. He jumped up toughing it out, Xena would kill him for it later, but it was time Ving paid for his crimes. He punched him in the nose drawing blood. They fought and finally Drake delivered a side wound making him drop his sword. Drake engulfed him in shackles as soldiers joined him and grabbed General Ving before he powered down and the searing pain filled his body from the broken ribs and he turned and limbed back to the others to return home.

"Thank you, you have freed Rome," Marc Anthony told him. "I hope when the Warrior Princess recovers you will return to make a peace treaty."

"And why do you have such hope?" Drake asked him almost angrily knowing just how fatal her wound had been. Marc Anthony grinned at him.

"She's Xena of course, I have heard many a tale, and it seems she has a knack for escaping death before she is ready. I'm sure she's having a sword fight with death now as we speak." Drake looked into his eyes and saw truth. He smiled at him a little.

"That's the most accurate description of my wife I've heard in a while." He clapped Marc Anthony on the back before he let an Amazon healer help him onto his horse. It was time to get back to Arcadia.

"Pax Romona!" Marc Anthony yelled saluting him.

"Pax Romona," Drake told him quietly with a nod. "Oh before I forget." Drake raised his hand as the last of his army disappeared except for the healer next to him on a horse. The sand began to swirl even though there was no wind around them. Before their eyes the city of Rome rebuilt itself and its soldiers' free will returned to them. The people cheered as they touched walls of buildings running around seeing their homes returned. The soldiers were also confused as Marc Anthony thanked Drake and brought them back to order.

"Come along King Drake," the healer said. He nodded and then grimaced at the action before he slumped over his horse just as she led them through the portal.

* * *

"What happen to my son!" Fiona screamed at the healer as she carried him to the proper place. There was much work to be done on the wounded and she really wasn't in the mood for the Queen Dowager of Arcadia to be yelling in her ear.

"SHUT UP!" She yelled at her once she had laid Drake down. "I have a lot of lives to save and you're not helping. He just has a few broken ribs you can wait by his side for when I have time to reset them." Fiona taken aback held her gaze until she had sat down out of fear of the tall Amazon. Satisfied the Amazon healer headed off to more serious cases like Xena's.

* * *

"She's got a punctured lung when I take the dagger out, her lung will collapse," the healer told them.

"Can't you sew it up?" Cyrene asked worriedly.

"We have to be quick, and open up her side and cauterize the wound." They nodded. Cyrene put a hot poker in the fire quickly and they opened her wound careful not to move the knife as she seemed to still be breathing with it in. Once they had her open quick hands of a palace healer in Sultry pulled the knife out and the Amazon healer cauterized the wound before the lung collapsed on her. She seemed to breath more easily as she remained passed out. She was sewed up by the palace healer and Cyrene watched over her along with her father.

"Fight Xena, Fight they got you back here in time," King Rodrigo told her kissing her forehead.

"Fight for your family Xena, they need you," Cyrene told her also kissing her forehead.

* * *

"You know if you keep getting injured we're never going to actually finish our marriage ceremony," Xena chuckled and then regretted the action as she groaned. A hand went to her side just as Drake chuckled too and regretted the very same action.

"May I remind you that you got hurt not me."

"You're the one with three broken ribs."

"And you got stabbed in the lung, I think its clear who got the worst wound."

"More like the best battle scar," Xena grinned as she kissed his hand.

"I definitely have the better battle scar," Drake told her.

"We shall see, we shall see."

"We will." It had only been a week since she had been up and both still felt weak from the ordeal, Drake's weakness had more to do with how much power he had used on Rome than his actual wound which would have seen him up and walking days ago. Cyrene came in with tea.

"Here you two are." She helped them drink.

"Mother where are my children, I haven't seen them in forever."

"Xena you know that they're not allowed in here while you're still this weak. They are safely on the other side of the Palace waiting for you and Drake to get well. Actually I've brought you a present from them." She handed her several cards.

"Gabrielle has been helping them make them, for your sake she won't take her eyes off them for one second except to use the little warrior's room and even than it's a struggle."

"At least I know there's a constant pair of eyes on them I trust with all my heart." Cyrene nodded.

"Hey room for one more?" Solari asked poking her head in.

"Solari you get back into a bed this instant," Ephiny told her following her in. Drake sighed.

"May as well," Drake told her, "We could use a third." He held up the cards and Solari nodded.

"You go rest Cyrene, I'll keep an eye on these three," Ephiny told her. Xena looked at her mother and saw just how tired she was.

"Mother exactly how long have you been up?" Xena asked. Cyrene grinned at her.

"Not long dear."

"Mother go to sleep, I will be fine for a few hours." Cyrene sighed not wanting too.

"I'll just check on the children one last time…"Cyrene started.

"No, straight to bed, Gabrielle has things under control and you know it."

"Fine for you, daughter I will make an attempt to get some sleep." She kissed Xena's forehead and Drake's before she left out. They hadn't said one word when Fiona burst in with a cup of tea. She took the one Drake already held from his hand and placed the one she had brought in his hands.

"Drink mommy's special tea dear it'll make you all better." Drake eyed the stuff with disgust, but raised it to his lips as Xena chuckled and groaned. The look on his face had been too much. Solari also laughed with some pain and Ephiny snickered as well. Where as Cyrene had learned the fine art of drowning out the bitter tastes with something sweet, Fiona either did not know how or did not bother to do so.

"Oh hmmm…thank you mother, so good," Drake lied.

"Good boy," Fiona told him fluffing his pillows. "How is my boy feeling today?"

"Better than I was yesterday that is for sure." She nodded. "Mother since you're here I wanted to ask you about something."

"Oh seems personal, come on Solari we'll wait outside in the sitting room," Ephiny told her. Solari nodded unhappily but looked at Xena with pleading eyes who chuckled and regretted it once again. Solari grinned knowing the message had been received and understood. Xena turned her full attention to Drake and Fiona as they left out rather slowly in Solari's case. Xena however was sure she heard an ear or two pressed up against the door.

"Ask me about what son?" Fiona asked smoothing his hair.

"Something General Ving said, and I want to know if it was true."

"You can't believe anything that filthy bastard says," Fiona said with rage in her heart as the image of her husband being brought back on his shield filled her eyes as she looked away from Drake. She saw so much of his father inside of him.

"Look Mom I just want to know if I truly am the first born son. He said I wasn't." Fiona stared out the window as silence filled the air. Xena rubbed Drake's arm. "Mother am I even suppose to be King?" The words seemed to be shouted at her and pierce her ears like daggers.

"Not at first no."

"What?" Drake asked. Xena watched her in all seriousness. Fiona looked at them both but mostly Drake.

"I was young when I met your father very young. Perhaps I was no more than thirteen years old when he came galloping onto my father's lands to escape his guards. He too liked to get away. As fate would have it his horse went lame and I was coming back from a visit from the north to visit cousins. I was alone we had just dropped my father off at a neighboring estate to visit friends for the night. Once I was safely at home the carriage would return to him."

"What, then what?" Drake asked. "How old was my father, how…" Fiona held up a hand.

"Please let me tell you without the questions until after." He nodded.

"I'm sorry please continue."

"Of course I being a curious girl had the driver stop to see who it was on our lands, when he pulled down his hood we knew immediately who he was. He was a young prince than no more than twenty-one and Princess Tangeliene from the Orient was his wife. They already three young sons and a daughter. Like a faithful subject I offered him passage in my coach to the keep, where we'd give him a fresh horse. It was there our love affair began. In that coach your sister was conceived."

"Sister?" Drake asked in complete shock. Fiona nodded staring off. Xena looked around and even moved a bit to cause herself some pain perhaps she was having delirious dream. The scandal Fiona had caused was enough to create happiness for in years to come. What she was telling them you just could not make up, the best writers in the known world couldn't come up with such a scandal.

"Oh God, I can't believe I'm saying this but I think I love you Fiona." Fiona looked at her as if she had ripped her heart out and left.

"Oh no, no Fiona, I'm so sorry it slipped," Xena called after her without causing herself too much pain. "I'm sorry…damn it I'll never hear the end of that story."

"And neither will I if you go around admitting something like that to her," Drake told her.

"I'm sorry it just slipped out, I mean she made my day, I mean for the first time I was actually happy with your mother."

"Oh Xena, no no, don't say that until I at least get the whole story." Xena nodded.

"Okay, okay sorry, you're right; I'll keep such feelings to myself until I know everything."

"You mean me," Drake said. Xena nodded.

"Yeah exactly like I said until I know everything."

"You mean me."

"Yeah me," Xena told him. Drake was about to argue, but gave up it was no use she knew what she was doing. They lay back.

"I can't believe I have three brothers and a sister."

"Had more than likely, they would have stepped up by now," Xena told him.

"I won't count them as dead until my mother tells me so," Drake told her. There was a knock and Solari and Ephiny finally came back in.

* * *

Author's Note: Would have been longer, but this was too good a place to leave a cliff hanger and not do it hehe *Grin*


	14. Sentencing

A/n: I'm sorry this is so late, and worse yet so short, but it's four in the morning I have to wake up soon, I need to sleep, hopefully next time my muse doesn't choose this time to write and I can write longer. Hope you enjoy :)

Sentencing

"Ving, former General of our neighbors, you are charged with treason against the throne of our neighbors Angel wall and our homeland Arcadia. You are also charged with the murder of our late King in an unlawful war, murder of King Evan of Angel wall, attempted unlawful marriage of Queen Bridget of Angel wall, kidnapping the crown princess, aiding a criminal, war crimes against the amazons, and attempted murder of our future Queen of Arcadia, the Archduchess of Glacia and Crown Princess, Lady Xena. War crimes against the people of Angel wall and Arcadia."

Ving stood before them in chains looking more than pissed off, dirty, and injured from the beating he had taken from Drake though Xena suspected that some guards had beaten him a little more in their anger. She would have to see to them treating prisoners respectfully.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Drake asked Ving coldly. Drake and Xena sat in royal finery on thrones. King Rodrigo sat to the side on a lesser throne with Cyrene next to him on his Right and his mother dressed in Royal finery to his left. Normally Xena would sit with him, but as she was to be fully married to Drake soon protocol allowed her to sit with him. Also their neighbors also sat on their own thrones agreeing to prosecute Ving for his crimes against them

"I spit at all your feet, you need me to rule over you all."

"You're a filthy bastard Ving," The queen of Angel wall stated. "It was a great day for Angel wall when Arcadia defeated you, I'm only sorry you escaped into another realm." He spit her way getting gasps and outrage from the crowd inside the courtroom. Those outside of the courtroom were already calling for his blood. A court appointed lawyer from Glacial was representing Ving, while a lawyer from Arcadia prosecuted Ving. Xena and Drake however bother knew that they weren't giving Ving a fair trial with them presiding over it. They both had every intention of finding him guilty they considered that the evidence against him was irrefutable.

"Take him away if he'll behave like this, he won't be allowed to listen at his own trial," Drake told the guards. They moved forward and grabbed Ving who began to fling obscenities at the monarchs.

"Dirty bastard," Fiona muttered from her seat. She was filled with such hatred to lay eyes on the man who had stolen her husband from her. Opening arguments began as Drake made every effort to pretend as if he hadn't already decided Ving's fate.

* * *

"Mother I need to know the rest," Drake told her later. Fiona looked at him from where she sat with Melody in her arms snuggling happily. Eve lay in Xena's arms under a blanket where as Llyr found himself sitting with Drake dozing in his human form for once. Cyrene sat quietly sewing in front of the fire pretended not to be listening though Xena had already told her what Fiona had revealed. Fiona sighed knowing that Cyrene already knew.

"Where did I leave off?"

"You had sex in the carriage with Drake's father and his sister was conceived," Xena supplied eagerly. Fiona nodded as she played with a thread on Melody's blanket.

"My father wasn't pleased to know our prince had stolen my virginity and got me with child. Actually he didn't believe me and fired the driver for lying for me and for letting it happen."

"My sister where is she?" Drake asked.

"Well my father hid me away telling everyone I was on extended stay up north because my aunt was sick, and she had no daughter. I gave birth and my father took her away after two days. I just know she was placed with a good family in the east and when I was thirty-three we found she had died in childbirth with her only child." Drake looked sad.

"I'm sorry mother." Fiona shook her head and patted his hand. "I still have you and my granddaughters….and grandson." She added Llyr as an afterthought.

"Did Drake's father know?" Xena asked knowing better than to tell Fiona she was sorry for her loss.

"Yes, he came back I told him, and he said it was for the best because we weren't married. I being young and in love agreed with him. My father wasn't pleased that I kept turning up pregnant, so he kept giving away your sisters to my pain. We had the most beautiful little girls your father and I." She smiled at the memory of them. Cyrene felt for Fiona as well, but held back, her sympathy would not be appreciated.

"How did you end up married, did grandfather do anything?"

"Well your father often made himself scarce with your grandfather, but he came around often to see your sisters before they were given away. And then I had a boy one year, back than boys out of wed lock were more prized than girls, I was lucky my girls weren't killed like so many others. Because of my continuous pregnancy I purposely put on weight so my father would allow me out and about. No one could tell the difference, and my father refused all marriage proposals as the Prince began to shower my family with gifts. It was then he started to believe me, but when our first son was born I was twenty years old."

"Wow that long," Xena whispered. Fiona nodded.

"His marriage was on the rocks, and once again I faced losing my child despite his value, I planned on killing myself, I couldn't refuse the prince it was against the law back then, and I couldn't bear to be denied love and my children any longer."

"What stopped you?" Cyrene asked.

"He divorced her Princess Tangeliene, and my father was still trying to decide what to do about his grandson as it wasn't as easy a choice for him when he came for me. He asked my father for my hand in marriage so that he could claim his son. My father of course agreed immediately more than happy I had managed to keep the affections of the crown prince, by than his father was so old your father practically had the crown on his head. He was what kept the Prince married to Princess Tangeliene, but no longer."

"So how did I end up as King, and my older brothers and sister?"

"They went back to the Orient with their mother, five years into our marriage there was a plague, his four eldest children died. Actually a lot of people died, and most of your sisters were not exempt. You have two sisters still living today, but they're so cozy in their lives that I have never revealed to them the truth, so late in life I can not reveal it to them and shatter their words. All that matters to me is that they're happy." Cyrene quietly wiped away a tear as Xena held her own back.

"My brother?" Drake asked.

"Gave up his claim to the crown when you were born, and ran off with some girl, he claims to hate me and his father, so I don't know what became of him. You had twin brothers, one of which would have taken his place, but they were mentally ill and threw themselves off the palace walls in Moscow." Xena shivered at the thought and hugged Eve close. This story wasn't so pleasing anymore. "So that left only you. We tried for more kids just in case something happened to you or was wrong like your brothers, but we never had another child, and you were so happy and healthy. None of the others were as strong as you, we loved you so much. You are our miracle child." Fiona held his hand.

"I'm glad I could live up to your expectations."

"After so much, we were just happy you were healthy and loving." Fiona stood with Melody. She gently handed her to Xena, who kissed Melody's head as she got comfortable. Xena thought for a moment she thought she saw a longing in Fiona's eyes for her daughters. Once Fiona had gone Cyrene quickly departed to sort through her own feelings.

"They won't leave us," Drake told her before she could speak.

"No, as long as we love them with open minds," Xena stated as she made a silent promise to herself to let them know they were loved unconditionally.

* * *

"Ving, former General of Angel wall and illegal regent. You were charged with Treason against the throne of Angel wall, Treason against the throne of Arcadia, murder of the late King in an unlawful war, murder of King Evan of Angel wall, attempted illegal force marriage of the Queen of Angel wall, attempted murder of future Queen of Arcadia Archduchess of Glacial and crown princess of Sultry; Lady Xena, war crimes against the people of Angel wall. Do you have anything to say before we read your sentence?" Ving gave them all a rude gesture.

"Just read me my sentence asshole." Drake ignored his insult as he stood up followed by everyone in the room.

"Ving the high court of Arcadia hear by sentences you to death by beheading." There was cheering all around as word spread throughout the land.


	15. Let's Try This Again

Let's try this again

Eve watched her mother stand naked in the room full of her ladies and closest friends as well as her grandmothers. She was fascinated by the tattoos that Cyrene now drew on Xena's body. Queen Romualda prepared to draw her own set of tattoos.

"Mama what's that?" Eve pointed.

"Oh that is a blessing for your husband's health and long life," Xena told her with a smile as she stood before her.

"Oh do I get those?" Eve asked. Everyone chuckled and commented on how cute was.

"Not for a long time when you find the one you love baby." Eve nodded. Queen Romualda called Gabrielle over and began her tattoo for the ceremony. Cyrene put the symbols on her arms and legs they were invisible except for the glitter it gave off as if she wore body glitter. Once Cyrene has finished Queen Romualda had finished all the women's hand tattoos and they were letting them dry.

She began with Xena's hands up to the wrist before using the small space Cyrene left her on her forearm which wasn't much. Next she went to Xena's neck and began to put symbols there and worked her way down Xena's front drawing attention to her navel and then down her back. Once Xena was covered they fanned her so she would try and then wiped her down and the tattoos were still on her body. She put on her robe and let her hand down out of it's bun as they inspected their hand tattoos. While they straightened out their wedding clothes, she gave Eve a tattoo on her hands. Eve was so happy to be like all the other women and felt older especially when Melody was brought in by Fiona who grudgingly got her own this time. Xena saw too Melody's dress helping to make size alterations.

"Your mommy's big girl, aren't you?" Xena asked Melody tickling her. She couldn't believe how big she was getting. She was two years old now as they had once again waited for their wedding day to roll around.

"Mommy," Melody giggled. Xena smiled and kissed her forehead. They tried on the dresses and kept making alterations for everyone. The women from glacial wore these white dresses with Oriental like designs all over them in gold. It was tight around the top and then flowed out at the waist for a small full skirt. They looked absolutely gorgeous. The ladies from Sultry wore gold saris heavily embroidered with gold, and were more than gorgeous. While the Ladies of Arcadia sported blue dresses from before. Gabrielle had on her darker blue dress.

Ephiny and the other girls sported gold saris embroidered black. Naomi insisted on a sari like her ladies of Sultry much to Torres dismay and Sarah wore a blue dress like Gabrielle's in it's cut except less revealing. Meg dressed like her ladies of Sultry as well, while Leah preferred to be like her Arcadian ladies, and Diana opted for something like her Glacial ladies in blue.

* * *

"Now my nieces and nephews their things are ready right?" Xena asked her mother. Everyone was running around the castle in Sultry once more taking things through a portal. Drake was at their castle providing the wedding feast before they all headed to Glacial to dance and have cake. Once that was over it was time for the honeymoon, which Xena was truly nervous about.

"Yes dear, now come on put on your yellow Sari for the last dinner ceremony." Xena went behind the changing screen and did as she was told mentally checking things off in her head. Soon she was sitting at the dinner with all of her children. The priestess through blessings her way of course.

"I know you all must be tired from preparing for my daughter's wedding twice." The people laughed as well as the royal family. "But think of this way, as custom I have generously provided every family even the richest with extravagant meals for a week, and given the amount of 100 gold coins to every poor family, each member was given the coins this time. I'm hoping this time the marriage will stick." Everyone laughed once more giving the coins away to the poor was like paying the Gods to safely marry your daughter away. Though not everyone could afford too or paid 100 coins to every poor person just those that showed up on their doorstep.

That night she dressed in a plain white linen sari and she was taken down to the sacred river and bathed. Eve was ecstatic that her young age of four gained her access to the ceremony since she had managed to stay awake taking an extra long nap that day. Once Xena had been bathed by Gabrielle and Ephiny after her brides maids had all been bathed as well.

* * *

The day of their wedding arrived quickly enough for everybody as the stress of the wedding was once more winding down to their delight. Finally all three lands would be united under one ruler or at least destined for it. Xena paced in the hall where her bridal party waited. Drake wouldn't walk down the aisle until after their mothers had sat down.

"It's time!" Lady Nava exclaimed happily as Xena fussed over Eve and Melody's dresses. Llyr was waiting with Torres and Drake in another hall.

"The children first," Cyrene instructed. All her nieces walked out looking beautiful as well as her nephews in their line smiling and waving before taking their front row seats. Following a minute behind them was Naomi and then Sarah as the bridesmaids then Ephiny and so on down the law each being met at the end of the line by a guy. As the bridesmaids all went through Fiona followed and Cyrene kissed Xena's cheek with happiness one more time before following her next to Queen Romualda.

"Look at Daddy isn't he handsome," Xena told her daughters they nodded. Once Drake had reached the altar she instructed the girls to walk through just as she had taught them with their fire rose petals and ice rose petals. They stopped at the end and Llyr trotted between them in his nice suit. Xena checked herself one last time and her father smiled at her before putting her veil over her once more as the music changed they began to walk down the aisle one more time.

"I love you Daddy," Xena whispered.

"I love you too Xena," he told her back. They came to the steps and face each other as if to say goodbye, but Xena considered it more good luck. He removed her veil and showed her face. The priestess spoke.

"Who blesses this union?"

"I bless this union and trust this man to protect my daughter as she protects him," Cyrene said kissing both of Xena's cheeks and placing her crown on her head.

"I bless this union and accept my daughter as a woman. I trust this man to protect her as she would him and all their children as I have protected her all her life." King Rodrigo kissed her cheek and took his seat next to Cyrene.

"I bless this union and trust this man to love and honor my sister and protect her as I always will," Torres said hugging her. He didn't feel the need to glare at Drake but he did anyway making Drake smile. Torres took a step back ready to play his next role he knew so well now. Drake stepped down and took another veil from Gabrielle, her maid of honor, covered her with it face and all. The first veil symbolized her as being unmarried and still living at home. The new veil symbolized her creating her own family and raising her own brood.

"I bless our union and trust you as you trust me." Xena took his crown from her brother, who was his best man, and placed it on his head.

"I bless our union and trust you as you trust me." He led her up the steps under the canopy, which symbolized their home. There was a sacred fire burning in the middle taken from the flame in the temple in Sultry that continuously burned.

The priestess spoke, "In the beginning of time man and woman were one. Than one day they split in half and torn apart. Nurtured by nature they learned to live apart, but longed for their other half. When nature directed man to woman they became one again spiritually. They could no longer survive without each other. They drank together, they ate together, they slept together. On this day you become one."

The priestess handed Xena a small glass cup full of the wine they had both made months ago together. Xena than passed it to Drake and he drank than they had to walk around the sacred fire with Xena leading rather than Drake.

Next she spoke again, "Listen, always listen." They drank some more this time Drake drank first and led her around the fire.

"Once woman ruled and than man had its turn. Now we have reached equality in marriage. As you take your next drink you promise the other equality and never shall one rule the other more." They used wooden tubes to drink at the same time, and then walk together with neither of them leading.

"Okay so last time we were here, you weren't Diana, you're Leah this time right?" Drake whispered. Xena hit him the stomach and Xena grinned. "Nope definitely Meg."

"Shut up." Drake and Xena made it around the fire and took their place once more. Eve was already where she was supposed to be as Xena turned and took her and Melody by the hand. Melody once again had a piece of candy stuck to the roof of her mouth that she was trying hard to unstuck from it.

"Blessed are the children from the womb and just as blessed are the adopted," The priest spoke. Drake brought Llyr up to stand beside them.

"Blessed is the father in his role in creating beautiful children in the future or past now too in this case again." Everyone chuckled. There were also some people making noises of shame that they were just now getting married, but now it was more in a joking matter making Bride and groom laugh. Xena and Drake looked around for any disturbances when none came the ceremony continued. Drake finished drinking from the wine cup.

"Blessed is the mother for breathing life into the child and nourishing her in her womb and at her breast." Xena drank from the cup.

"Blessed are the daughters for filling your lives with more love and happiness than you could ever imagine." Eve as the eldest drank next and then Melody, who Xena didn't have to help too much she just wanted to make sure there were no spills. These days Melody dripped on anything worth staining.

"Blessed is the son as he provides protection and male companionship especially when the father cannot."

"Oh thanks make me feel even worse," King Rodrigo told the priestess it was all part of the ceremony as everyone laughed and Llyr drank before giving her the cup back. He still didn't drink the way most of the watchers would call civilized, but Xena didn't mine she wanted him to keep as much as his former self as possible. Xena and Drake led their children one at a time around the fire and than one more for all future children, which they walked together as a family.

"I just want you to know Xe, I'm so happy we're finally going to finish this." Xena smiled at him through veil.

"Yes, we'll finally be united once more." Drake smiled at her and looked at her lovingly just as she looked at him lovingly. The priestess put the cup down as she did before and the priest stepped forward. He was determined to marry them this time.

"You will now make your vows to each other. These vows will be held sacred and followed for eternity as long as you both shall live." Xena and Drake turned to each other. "Before they begin does anyone have any objections, ill wishes, curses, or plans for ruining the wedding? If so please speak or act now or forever hold your peace." Xena and Drake along with others in the front row looked around. No one moved though there was some coughing before everyone turned to Fiona once more.

"You have nothing to say?" Xena asked. Fiona who she had allowed to keep her red dress looked at her son.

"I don't know son, am I allowed to be myself?" Fiona asked looking at Drake. Drake shrugged.

"That is entirely up to you mother." Fiona sighed.

"Well of course I object, but if you must," Fiona told him in a nonchalant tone. "You know I just love you both." Xena grinned.

"Oh how evil of you," Xena told her. "I love you too." A glare passed between them and Xena and Drake turned back to the priest.

"Is there anyone else?" The priestess asked. "Because seriously, this ceremony is a lot of work disturb the peace now while we're halfway through because no one likes an ending to be disturbed." Nothing happened once more.

"Good, Drake if you will say your vows now." Drake nodded and looked Xena in the eye.

"I, Drake, King of Arcadia, take you, Xena, Princess of Sultry, Archduchess of Glacial, into my heart as my wife and rightful Queen." He turned to Llyr and picked up a beautiful fiery colored pearl necklace in the shape of roses made from fire it seemed, but his gloves protected him while she lifted her veil as they got a clear view of one another. "Fire for our burning love." He took ice-cold earrings off the pillow. "Ice so that time will freeze every special moment we share together." He put them on her ears. He noticed they were the same diamond earrings he had put on her before. She had been forced to take them off because of the war and because they weren't married. "And with this ring I thee wed and give you a representation of my never ending love. A promise that I will love, honor, trust, respect, and cherish you every precious moment in life and in death."

"I, Xena, Princess of Sultry, Archduchess of Glacial, take you, Drake, King of Arcadia, into my heart as my husband and rightful Archduke and Prince." Llyr moved closer to her. "Fire for our burning love." She place a pendant of a fiery rose on his sash before grabbing an ice-cold diamond earring which she made warm enough for him to bare. The diamond was on a small silver loop."Ice to freeze every moment we share together good or bad." He grimaced a little when she pierced his pinna. "And with this ring I thee wed and give you a representation of my never ending love. I promise that I will love, respect, honor, trust, and cherish you every precious second in life and death. "

"Did you have to out do me in the expression of our love once more?" he asked her in a teasing manner.

"Always and forever."

"Always and forever," He repeated words once more and was so tempted to kiss her but he held back.

"The couple will now take the seven sacred vows." Xena and Drake started around the fire and began their first sacred vow.

"May we be blessed with an abundance of food."

"May we be strong and complement one another."

"May we be blessed with prosperity."

"May we be eternally happy."

"May we be blessed with children."

"May we live in perfect harmony."

The priest and priestess said the last one together along with everyone else, "May Xena and Drake always be the best of friends."

"May we always be the best of friends," They said while staring into each other's eyes as they finished the last walk. Drake lifted her veil and they kissed one another softly and Xena nearly blushed as the sparks still flew when she kissed him. There were some cat calls as it was a long kiss making them laugh as they pulled back. Once they had stopped Fiona stood up and the glass that they had drunk out of was given to the priestess who put it on the floor. Fiona broke it with her foot and they all clapped.

"To many more arguments and grandchildren," Fiona told them. "Once again Drake…"

"Yes…yes you warned me mother." She nodded and took her seat once more.

"I join you two together with two separate cords." Both of their hands were tied together to show the unity of their marriage. "Now tie a knot into those separate cords and put it around your partner." They both tied a knot on one of the two separate cords that bound them before they tie it onto the other's wrist.

"In the beginning woman and man could not speak. To show woman that she was the center of his very existence his core, he walked around her three times," The priest recited. Drake walked around Xena three times.

"Woman knowing no other way to communicate the same thing walked around man three times to show she understood and that her feelings were mutual." Xena walked around Drake three times.

The Priest and Priest than spoke together, "When the first child was born man and woman walked around their child to show that a new center had been born and kissed that child when they realized their feelings were mutual." Drake and Xena walked around their children and kissed them. Eve immediately began her walk around her mother followed Melody and Llyr making everyone melt as even after so much time little Eve still felt the same way. Drake pretended to look a little sad that he still wouldn't be loved and Torres patted his shoulder. Xena chuckled.

"Remember I still love you." She patted his cheek.

"Yes, as I said only because someone has too." Everyone chuckled.

"Now to literally tie the knot, the knot that will hang above you marital bed when you sleep and make love and create your beautiful daughters." Xena refrained from looking at anyone especially Drake and was grateful that her veil was covering the sides of her face from veil of everyone except the priest and priestess as they faced them again. At the same time she was a little angry with this virginal shyness she had gathered.

The priestess and priest took a longer cord and tied them together around the waist in a knot. They could take it off at the reception. They walked around and than through the fire to show that their marriage could and would withstand anything thrown at them as it had already survived the hardships thrown their way. All that was left for them to do was jump the broom and for fireworks to fill the sky as their soldiers lined up down the isle their swords creating an arc over head.

Everyone held their breath as Torres and Gabrielle placed the decorated broom on the ground. The soldiers lined up from Glacial, Arcadia, and Sultry standing tall looking straight across from one another. They would raise their swords one by one as they passed them. Xena and Drake paused for half and second and jumped over the broom. They paused again and nothing happened as everyone began to breathe once more and applause erupted from the watchers. Drake and Xena walked forward with huge smiles on their faces as the soldiers raised their swords as they passed creating an arch. They were followed by their children than Gabrielle and Torres, and so on until all the wedding party had walked out amid drums and songs of joy.

Cyrene was in tears when she entered, but she immediately ushered a loving Xena and Drake out of the room to change. The priestess came in and helped them maneuver with the knot around their waist moving it up and down accordingly. Xena was dressed in her first blue wedding dress that she had married Drake in the first time. Cyrene let down Xena's hair and replaced the crown on her head without the veil.

"Ladies and Gentleman I introduce to you King Drake of Arcadia and his Queen Xena of Arcadia!" Someone cried out. The blue tent was full as Xena and Drake walked in as fireworks filled the sky to their surprise delight. Small ice sculptures rained as the dazzling center pieces surrounded by flowers and everyone dined with gold plates, cups, forks, spoons, and knives. Xena saw her orphans happily dressed and attending the feast. They took their seats and everyone was served a very delicious meal.

"Xena, Drake I want you to know that I am so glad you two are finally married, I'm sure we've all had enough of bridezilla." Everyone laughed at Torres. "I'm going to be honest, I never thought you darling sister would get married, but now that you have I find I'm not agreeable to it." They laughed more. "It was never you it was me, and so I wish you more beautiful children and a long happy lives together cause it's official no running now." They laughed more as everyone clapped before raising their glasses at Xena and Drake. King Rodrigo stood up next and raised his glass.

"Drake, you're a fine man and while you'll never deserve my daughter, I'm glad it was you she chose." Everyone smiled and awed. "She loves you so much and don't ever throw that away. And to you my beautiful daughter nothing brings me more joy than to see you smiling, I haven't always been there by choice, but don't ever think of trying to keep me away. To Xena and Drake!"

"To Xena and Drake." They all drank from their glasses. Gabrielle stood up.

"Xena, although I still don't agree with your choice, I would be a fool not to see how much you love each other and that makes me so happy for you." They raised their glasses and drank as Xena hugged Gabrielle who cried a little.

"We're still best friends forever, we're destined to be," Xena told her. Gabrielle smiled.

"Oh two girls hugging very hot," Drake whispered so they both heard making them hit him lightly before sitting.

"Let's see a kiss!" Clara yelled to Xena's chagrin.

"Kiss, Kiss, Kiss!" They all began to chant until Xena and Drake kissed even slipping each other a little tongue.

"Woooooo!" They clapped. They sat through several more speeches till everyone was good and slightly drunk. Xena and Drake stood up carefully cause of the knot and exited once dinner was over and everyone headed to Glacial to dance. When Xena arrived in her white dress in the same style of the ladies of Glacial they were already dancing. Her bridesmaids of course now all wore their own outfits so she stood out. Xena's hair was in a ponytail braided and looped twice and over the two braids Drake had fastened a rope of flowers he'd made. Drake sported a white jacket and blue sash as he gracefully led his wife into the ballroom. Everyone was standing around them now as they were introduced once more.

"The Archduchess and Archduke will now have their first dance." They swept off onto the dance floor together. Soon everyone was dancing once more and they danced late into the night. During the dance Xena was laying against Drake as she watched Llyr and Eve dancing beside them. She smiled at them they were so gorgeous and beautiful and they were hers. She left briefly to see all three of her children off to bed.

They posed for a long moment as artist did fast sketches and committed them to memory as they were poised to cut the cake. Finally they were able to cut the first piece of cake, that first piece was put on ice and saved for their first anniversary. They cut two more pieces and fed each other before Xena got him good in the mouth and he got her. Everyone laughed happily before everyone was served cake.

"Have fun on your honeymoon," Cyrene told her a little while later. They kissed each other's cheek and they both walked out of the castle and to their dragons and they were off to an island near the Arcadian coast.

* * *

On the island they had planted every flower Xena could think of to add to it's beauty and what they liked best was how the hills were so high it gave them a sort of privacy. They landed and the dragons flew off they would come back when ever Xena and Drake needed them. They walked the little ways to their small home. They had barely entered when Drake was kissing Xena tenderly. Xena kissed him back just as passionately and pushed him back onto the bed. He sat up and reached out for her.

"You relax and hang the knot above our marital bed." Drake nodded as Xena left out. She went into the other room and changed into a purple dance sari. She let her hair cascade all down her back and over her shoulders just the way he liked it. She added a little adornment to it, but not much. She picked up two ankle bracelets and turned towards the door. She took a deep breath, dancing wasn't the part that worried her.

"You can do this Xena, you've done it plenty of times before." At her words she grinned a little and opened the door. Drake had lit the candles all around the room before he had secured the knot above their marital bed. He had hung his sash up and taken off his gloves and was sitting on the bed waiting for her his shoes kicked off and neatly put under the bed. He looked up and sucked in his breath as he looked up from her feet tracing every tattoo on her stomach until he had met her eyes. For a moment he stopped breathing all together as he watched her walk over to him.

"Would you mind?" Xena asked him. She held out the first bracelet and lifted her leg before him. He gulped and took it before running his hands down her leg to her ankle she shivered at his touch as he fastened the bracelet. She lifted the other leg and he put the other one on. She used some magic and some instruments in a corner began to play on their own. She danced seductively for him and to his delight never took her eyes off his when she faced him though his eyes roamed her entire body, the tattoos really enhanced every movement she made whether she had her back to him or not. She pulled him up and began to undress him and her touch sent shivers through his body.

"Oh god," he whispered as her hand moved down his bare chest from behind and moved to his pants. She undid them and moved her hand down to stroke his thighs it was torture for him and she knew it as she brought her right hand back up lightly rubbing from the top of his groin to his navel. He was nearly naked except for his undergarments as she danced more around the room at first releasing her skirt and letting it fall followed by the top leaving her only in her bra and panties and jewelry except the bangles which she let drop to the floor. She crawled onto the bed and lay back on the pillows watching him. He didn't need any prompting as he moved forward and began to crawl onto the huge bed. Xena stopped him with her left foot he merely ran his hand up her leg towards foot stopping at her ankle before turning his head to kiss her inner ankle and than her leg just above the bracelet. She bent her leg a little and lifted it so it was on his shoulder and he moved forward.

"In time love, I'm going to exhaust you the right way," he told her. She smirked and removed her leg from his shoulder. He moved forward and kissed her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. To his excitement she began to stroke the back of his neck as he stroked the side of her thighs. Drake moved from her lips to her neck and was glad she had taken her pearls off so he wouldn't burn his lips, but he could still feel the extra warmth where they had once laid on her neck. He licked the area making her moan slightly in his ear. He began to trace the tattoos on her neck with his tongue as he took off her bra.

"Drake," Xena moaned. She ripped off his underwear to his amusement and she shrugged as he continued to torture her with his tongue moving down to her breast he lavished attention on them like he had been longing too for so long. He bit down a little too hard. "Hey be careful our children are still nursing from there." He nodded and looked at her apologetically. She kissed him immediately bringing back the mood. He kissed further down ravishing her body as he traced the tattoos around her navel and down further. She watched him with her eyes glazed over as he removed her panties and kissed her thighs before her eyes went wide as he threw her legs over his shoulders for better access.

"Drake!" Xena moaned for once she didn't even both keeping her voice down there was noone to hear them for miles. "Aaah!" Xena gripped the sheets around her tightly before her body tensed itself and she lay back breathing hard. It was slow coming but her vision returned itself as she felt Drake's lips on hers as she turned him over so she was on top and began to administer her own torture of him with her tongue.

"This is how you bite a nipple." She bit down making him whimper with pleasure. She found it so cute when he did that and did it again just to hear him. She reached down with her hand stroked him making his body tense with pleasure as he continued to kiss her way down making sure to leave a trail of hot and cold kisses to his pleasure.

"Xena!" Soon he had to force himself not to grip the headboard until it was nothing but splinters in his hand as he experienced the changing temperatures inside her mouth and the way she caressed him. Just as he body finished tensing up she kissed his lips and finally he pulled back.

"Are you ready for this?" Xena nodded kissing him again. He pulled the square cloth from under the pillow, the proof was for the people of Glacial and while not everyone would look on it, key nobles had too for the proof. This wouldn't have mattered if Ubel had bedded Xena, but Ubel wasn't bedding Xena, Drake was, and Xena was their ruling leader and he was marrying into the country so to speak. He placed the cloth under her as Xena tried to make her body relax.

"Relax we've done this a million times." Drake kissed her gently, but she suddenly broke the kiss as the pain spread through her body. She bit her lip and cried out a little as tears spilled down her cheek. The pain was excruciating it was worse than giving birth, but not as bad as fighting Alti in her head. It had never hurt like this before as she cursed Ubel's mother in her head repeatedly. Drake wiped her tears and took things slow until they found their rhythm again the pain subsided and the room began to fill again with both of their moans.

* * *

The next morning Drake awoke first. He rolled over and looked up to see the ceiling it was made of glass he could see that it was the middle of the morning from the way the light shined through. He looked at Xena who was lying on her stomach on his right arm, with a smile he rolled over so he had his left arm around her. She was so gorgeous in his eyes as he stroked her hair out of her face and exposed her neck. He got a good look at the tattoos on her back as he traced the ones he wasn't covering with his own body with his finger. He looked back up and kissed the back of her next already longing for her. She grinned having already woken up when he had traced her tattoos with his finger. She smiled and turned her head and his kisses transferred to the side of her neck and than her lips.

"So did I keep my promise my Queen?" Drake asked with a grin.

"You went above and beyond the promise my King." They kissed some more. They made love once more in the bed before rising and eating lunch. They explored the island making love under the beautiful water fall and in the field of wild flowers. They just enjoyed each other in their marital bliss for two weeks.

"No worries just a parade than we rest." Drake nodded. They flew to Glacial and rode in a carriage all through the capitol dressed in white waving then took a portal to Sultry and did the same, and finally a portal to Arcadia and did that through three cities the last being the newly finished Illusia. Drake addressed the people of Arcadia at the palace as well as Xena before they were able to retreat to their rooms.

"There's my baby." She lifted Melody up who cared more for nursing at the moment than anything else as Xena dried her tears.

"Perhaps you'll need to wean her earlier than other children," Cyrene commented as Melody sucked hardily. Llyr had already weaned himself now that he was coming up on seven years of age. He ate meat now and often went out hunting in his wolf form. Bedwyr and Cahal had remarked that Llyr would return to rule Queensland one day and change everything they had no doubt of that. He had a right to even though he had handed the title over. As for Eve she suckled occasionally, but not nearly as often as she use to do so.

"Daddy, we go riding?" Eve asked him from her place on his knee.

"Yes, of course darling, but tomorrow." Eve nodded.

"You might be right mother," Xena told her. "But I think it's fine until I have another baby if her feedings don't get more infrequent." Cyrene nodded as she sat sewing some pants Eve had ripped. "So when is the wedding?" Cyrene looked up alarmed.

"I don't know what you mean."

"I'm sure, when are you going to marry my father?"

"Xena please we're still getting to know one another and as it is when he marries me this time around he'll have to step down as King."

"So," Xena said.

"Our day will come soon enough you don't pay any attention to it." Xena shrugged.

"I'll drop it for now." Soon they were all having a family lunch before Xena and Drake were thrown into their daily duties. She was grateful to push some stuff for Glacial off onto Drake.

"You did this to me on purpose," Drake told Xena carrying the load of papers out of her study and to his. Xena chuckled.

"Why of course, now you go handle that while I handle Arcadia, I have some many laws I need to enforce here before I travel to Glacial to enforce the laws there." Drake probably nodded as he walked out, but she couldn't see over the papers. "Love you!"

"Love you too!"


End file.
